 | The Tapir Gallery: Focus on the mountain tapir At high risk for extintion |
| The Tapir Gallery: Focus on the mountain tapir At high risk for extintion |
Estimates for the survival of the woolly mountain tapir (Tapirus pinchaque) range from about 10 to 20 years, depending on many unknown factors. These ancient denizens of the high Andes still survive in perilously small numbers in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. They are already extinct in parts of their former range. Why? The main reasons are agriculture, poaching and habitat destruction. Intense efforts are being made to save this species, vital to the well-being of the Andean ecosystem.
Links below marked with a(red arrow) indicate that the page is about or specifically includes mountain tapirs. Other links may contain general information, or information about a habitat area that includes mountain tapirs, but where the species is not mentioned.
Description and general information
This page in The Tapir Gallery links to online reprints and also tells you where to obtain reprints on paper.
"The Ultimate Ungulate Page: Your Guide to the World's Hoofed Mammal Species." Includes photos and a concise description of the species with range maps, measurements, and more.
Pictures
Endangered species lists
Click on Common name in the database and search for tapir, and you will see all of the species listed.
Zoos
There are about 10 mountain tapirs remaining in the world's zoos. They can be seen in Los Angeles, California; San Francisco, California; Colorado Springs, Colorado; Langley, British Colombia, Canada; and one is being raised in captivity in Colombia. remaining in the world's zoos. Anja," the female in Stuttgart, Germany, died in January 1997. She had been at the zoo for 27 years, and holds the record for longevity of a mountain tapir in captivity. Several have been born in Colorado Springs and Los Angeles in the past few years (writing as of December 2006). All of the captive mountain tapirs outside of Colombia are related to each other.
Conservation and research
General/inclusive
By country
This is on the Web site of the IUCN/SSC Tapir Specialist Group.
From the Grand Junction, Colorado, Daily Sentinel
- Tapirs: Conservation & Ecology
- How Can I Help?
This is on the Web site of the IUCN/SSC Tapir Specialist Group. This link takes you to the Table of Contents, which has links to each country where the species lives.
This is on the Web site of the IUCN/SSC Tapir Specialist Group. Check the Table of Contents and follow the links to South America. This reference gives numbers of mountain tapirs in each country, if known.
Colombia
Red Danta Colombia
In Spanish: Red Danta Colombia is an informal group of people that uses internet to communicate about its work with tapirs in Colombia. "Red Danta" means "tapir network." This is an exciting development in tapir conservation, and is still in its infancy.
Diego Lizcano
In English: Diego is a tapir researcher with wide experience working with the mountain tapir in Colommbia.
A fundraising project for mountain tapirs
Ecuador
This young Ecuadorean is doing outstanding work with mountain tapir and habitat conservation. His work is described in more detail in this proposal to save the species.
A description of some of the problems along with the conservation effort.
- Ecuaworld
Peru
- A small population of mountain tapirs is believed to remain in northwestern Peru. However, this population has not been counted, studied, or even verified.