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TAPIR TALK Digest 24 March 2000 - Vol. 4, No. 14
The Tapir Preservation Fund
The Tapir Gallery: http://www.tapirback.com/tapirgal/
Tapir Talk Archives and Info: http://www.tapirback.com/tapirgal/tt.htm
E-mail: tapir@tapirback.com
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Contents of this issue
1. Notes on status of T. bairdii in Honduras, by Kevin Flesher - abstract
2. TSG Newsletter ready to mail / subscription info
3. Mathias Tobler web site
4. No news on sick tapir in Ecuador
Hello Tapir Talkers,
I've been pretty bad about posting publication notices, but I've got one in
front of me and I'll post it before it lands in the files. This is by Kevin
Flesher, printed in Oryx, "Preliminary notes on the conservation status of
Baird's tapir Tapirus bairdii in north-eastern Honduras," Oryx, Vol. 33, No.
4, October 1999; 294-300. Kevin can be reached at
Kevin Flesher <KevinFlesher@yahoo.com>
Abstract: Between April and August 1994, three steps were taken to assess
the status of Baird's tapir Tapirus bairdii in north-eastern Honduras: (i)
forest cover was mapped to estimate the amount of habitat available; (ii)
interviews with local people were conducted to determine where the species
occurs; and (iii) searches were made for tapir signs in several mountain
ranges to corroborate interview information. Local reports and searches
indicated that the species occurred in forests throughout the area. Using
density estimates of 0.05-0.24 tapirs per sq km, there may be 520-2760
tapirs in the 10,400-11,500 sq km of contiguous rain forest that remains in
north-eastern Honduras -- a population large enough to have a good chance of
long-term persistence. The main threat to the population is human
colonization, which is destroying the forest along the rivers and major
streams. This is fragmenting the tapir population into isolated units, which
will be increasingly subject to the stochastic events that drive small
populations to extinction. Hunting, which along with habitat destruction, is
a major contributor to the rapid decline of tapir populations in areas of
human colonization, does not appear to pose an immediate threat in the study
area. However, population trend data are lacking and the impact of hunting
on tapirs remains unassessed.
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Interestingly, we have an update by Kevin printed in the current (March
2000) issue of "Tapir Conservation," the newsletter of the IUCN/SSC Tapir
Specialist Group. This has just been printed. If you are a group member or
contributed information to this issue, you will receive a copy by mail. Some
have been sent, the rest will be sent (hopefully) by the first of next week.
Issues sent outside the U.S. are sent airmail. For others who would like a
copy of this 22-page issue, the cost is $5 per issue and $10 per year (2
issues). This helps with printing and postage. We had intended printing two
issues in 1999, but were unable to get the second one out in time. We're
aiming for 2 in 2000. Subscribers will have subscriptions extended to
include two issues. If interested, please write to:
tapir@tapirback.com
I hope to have this issue online by summer, where you can read it for free.
No promises on the date, though.
Another note, you can read about Mathias Tobler's recent study in Costa Rica
on this site: http://n.ethz.ch/student/matobler
Mathias notes that the study is completed. The proposal is in English, and
the field notes are in German. We thought some of you might like to visit
the site before it's taken down sometime in the near future.
I don't have an update yet on the tapir in Ecuador, but thanks to all of you
for your help.
Sheryl
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Sheryl Todd ~ The Tapir Gallery
President, Tapir Preservation Fund
TPF is a 501 (c) (3) charitable corporation
http://www.tapirback.com/tapirgal/ tapir@tapirback.com
Tapir Talk info & archives: http://www.tapirback.com/tapirgal/tt.htm
IUCN/SSC Tapir Specialist Group
Deputy Chair, Tapir Specialist Group / Co-Editor TSG Newsletter
P.O. Box 1432, Palisade, CO 81526 USA
Phone (970) 464-0321 Fax (970) 464-0377
"Information and funding to assist conservation of tapirs and their habitat"
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