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TAPIR TALK Digest 26 April 2000 - Vol. 4, No. 19
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
__________________________________________________________________
Contents of this issue
1. Karl Kranz: Humans/horses in tapir country - Reply
2. Sonia Foerster: Humans/horses in tapir country - Reply
3. Patrøcia Medici: Field Report, part 1 (part 2 in next e-mail)
Return-Path: <Kranz.Karl@phillyzoo.org>
From: "Kranz, Karl" <Kranz.Karl@phillyzoo.org>
To: 'Tapir' <tapir@tapirback.com>
Subject: RE: Tapir Talk Digest - 24 April 2000 - Vol. 4, No. 18
Date: Mon, 24 Apr 2000 17:26:44 -0400
Return-Receipt-To: "Kranz, Karl" <Kranz.Karl@phillyzoo.org>
Hi Sheryl,
In my experience in Brazil your rider may be at an advantage instead of
a disadvantage if he encounters a tapir. I went horseback riding in
southern Brazil and could actually get closer to animals like peccaries
because they didn't recognize me as a threat when I was on horseback.
Regards,
Karl R. Kranz
Senior Vice President for Animal Affairs
Philadelphia Zoological Garden
3400 West Girard Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19104-1196
USA
Voice: 215-243-5215
FAX: 215-243-0219
Email: kranz.karl@phillyzoo.org
www.philadelphiazoo.org
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Return-Path: <SHernz@aol.com>
From: SHernz@aol.com
Date: Mon, 24 Apr 2000 17:19:43 EDT
Subject: Re: Tapir Talk Digest - 24 April 2000 - Vol. 4, No. 18
To: tapir@tapirback.com
hi there
Up until 3 yrs ago, the parkguards at Corcovado used to keep horses-which
helped them get along the trails and do some of the work needed there...
THe horses were loose most of the time and thus roamed free on the trails
and beach most of the night. Previously there had been as many as 20 horses,
but the jaguars had dwindled the population and apparently only 2 were smart
enough to stay clear of the cats...
It was quite amusing to see tapir tracks on the trails in the morning with
horse hoof prints right on top.
I really don't know what happened when the two encountered, but knowing that
some of our individuals used the same trails, I suspect they all got along
fine......Not too helpful...
take care
sonia
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Return-Path: <epmedici@uol.com.br>
From: Patrøcia Medici <epmedici@uol.com.br>
To: "TSG Sheryl Todd (USA)" <tapir@tapirback.com>
Subject: Field report - Tapir Talk
Date: Wed, 26 Apr 2000 15:58:33 -0300
Organization: IPE
CONSERVATION BIOLOGY OF LOWLAND TAPIRS (Tapirus terrestris) AND THEIR
POTENTIAL AS "landscape detectives" IN THE PONTAL DO PARANAPANEMA REGION -
S_O PAULO STATE - BRAZIL.
COORDINATOR: MsC. Candidate PATR_CIA MEDICI
IP_ - INSTITUTO DE PESQUISAS ECOL_GICAS
(Ecological Research Institute)
FIELD REPORT: 5TH ROUND OF CAPTURES - MARCH 2000
INTRODUCTION: For the past three years, my team and I have been capturing
and radio-collaring lowland tapirs (Tapirus terrestris) in Morro do Diabo
State Park and the surrounding landscape (the Pontal do Paranapanema Region
in the extreme west of So Paulo State, Brazil). The main objective today is
to investigate the tapirs' potential as "landscape detectives" -- that is,
the tapirs show us the most used dispersal routes and pathways in the
landscape, and thus the potential areas to be conserved and restored as
wildlife corridors. The project has caught and radio-collared eight animals
so far, and has collected much data. This data is in the process of
preliminary analysis. I was able to use five of these eight animals as
landscape detectives, as they frequently wander outside the large forest
source which is Morro do Diabo State Park. They normally cross open areas
(pastureland) to reach the nearest forest fragments. I suggest that these
individuals use the smaller fragments as "stepping stones" during their
temporary movements outside main forest sources.
Specific objectives of this study include describing and mapping these
dispersal routes through the landscape. Preliminary information about the
tapirs' dispersal behavior has shown that this large and, to some extent
generalist mammal, still survives in very small forest patches, mainly
because it is able to exploit surrounding resources and move long distances
between fragments. It is necessary to restore and conserve the most used
dispersion routes or corridors, keeping landscape connectivity and,
therefore, the metapopulation scenario for this large keystone species in
its threatened ecosystem.
During the past three years, I have mainly captured tapirs inside Morro do
Diabo State Park. Only two of the eight radio-collared animals were caught
outside of the park's limits, inside the Agrarian Reform settlement by the
west border of the protected area. During 2000, I intend to conduct four
rounds of captures and radio-collar at least 10 more animals. From 2000
onward, I will concentrate my field efforts on the north edge of the park,
and also on the smaller, isolated forest fragments around it.
The fifth round of captures was conducted from the 13th to the 27th of
March, 2000. The other three rounds are scheduled for June, September, and
December, 2000, but those will only take place if the project can get enough
funds to conduct them.
Goals for the capture rounds in 2000:
1.. to capture at least one male inside the area of the previously
radio-collared females (by the west border of the park);
2.. to recapture Joana, an adult female radio-collared three years ago. We
want to recapture her and replace the collar, depending on her health;
3.. to capture a new animal close to the park's headquarters;
4.. to capture new animals near the north edge of the park;
5.. to capture new animals at Santa Maria, Alcødia, _gua Sumida, Ponte
Branca, and Tucano forest fragments.
In past years, our capture efforts have been concentrated on the west border
of the park. That region of the park is important because it is from the
west border that the tapirs leave the protected area to visit the Ribeiro
Bonito forest fragment (about 1-2 km from the park's edge), which is located
inside one of the largest landless settlements of the Pontal region. Today,
we have three radio-collared females living in that area, and according to
our preliminary data analysis, there is considerable overlap of their home
ranges. An important piece of information is lacking, however, because we
have no data on males in that area. For this reason, we want to capture a
male by the west border. Another reason to work near the west border is to
recapture Joana, the radio-collared adult female. She was first caught in
June, 1997, almost three years ago, and our Telonics transmitters are made
to last for three years. Joana would be our priority for the March captures.
Another area in which we want to capture additional animals is around the
park's headquarters. We have had two radio-collared tapirs in that area, a
male that died two months after the transmitter was installed, and a female
from which we had to remove the collar because she had sores on her neck. We
still want to have a radio-collared tapir in that area, because here the
animals are used to human presence, and could be habituated in the future
for behavioral studies.
Regarding the north edge of the park, we want to radio collar animals there
because this area is relatively close to three smaller forest fragments
around the park. My suggestion is that tapirs also leave the park from that
edge and visit the Alcødia, _gua Sumida, and Santa Maria fragments. We've
seen lots of tapir tracks crossing the roads and pasture lands between the
park and the forest fragments just mentioned. This would be another area in
which we would be able to investigate the tapirs' potential as "landscape
detectives."
Another way to investigate this would be to capture tapirs inside the
Alcødia, _gua Sumida, and Santa Maria fragments. We would then be able to
find out whether there is movement between the fragments, and also between
the fragments and the park.
Ponte Branca and Tucano are two private forest fragments that are not as
close to the park, but I believe there is movement of tapirs between them.
Since they are fairly close to each other, and our institution has a very
good relationship with their owners, this would be a potential area for the
establishment of the first corridor in the Pontal region.
FIFTH ROUND OF CAPTURES - MARCH 2000: The funds for this 5th round of
captures were provided by Woodland Park Zoo's Jungle Party Conservation Fund
and the Tapir Preservation Fund (anonymous donor and the Ledder Family
Charitable Trust). Idea Wild donated all of the necessary Telinject capture
equipment. Nellcor USA donated the pulse-oxymeter, a piece of veterinary
equipment used to monitor the animals under anesthesia. The field team
consisted of six permanent members: myself; Dr. Paulo Rogerio Mangini, the
responsible veterinarian; Luiz Homero Gomes Pereira (Homero) and Jos_ Maria
de Arago (Zezinho), two field assistants who have worked for the project
since its beginning; Mariana Andrade, a trainee; and Heidi Frohring, our
project's representative at Woodland Park Zoo. Two others participated
during the beginning of the capture round, Eliane Ribeiro, a researcher
starting another tapir project at Caetet·s Ecological Station in the center
of So Paulo State, and another trainee, a vet student named Paula.
A complete report is presented below:
03/13/2000 to 03/16/2000: The field work begins. During the first three
days, I talked with the field assistants to determine where to dig the
pitfall traps and where to build tree platforms. We also spent some time in
the forest checking the previously-established salt bait stations. During
the first two weeks of March, the field assistants Homero and Zezinho had
set up salt bait stations and had begun locating Joana via radio telemetry.
At the bait stations by the north border of the park there was no activity
at all, but we found tapir tracks leading to a trail into the forest. This
pathway seemed to be used frequently by the tapirs. The bait stations by the
west border were, as always, covered with tracks. During my discussions with
the field assistants, I told them the plan for the entire year's captures,
and we decided that during this first round of 2000 we would concentrate our
efforts on recapturing Joana, on the capture of a new male inside Joana's
area, and on the capture of new animals close to the park's headquarters,
and by the north edge. In order to accomplish our goals, we have had to make
each move carefully, step by step. We planned to leave the smaller forest
fragments for the capture rounds later in the year. During this fifth round
of captures we planned to utilize three different strategies: pitfalls,
shooting at a distance from platforms high in the trees, and shooting from
the ground. Pitfalls would be used near the north edge to capture new
animals, and by the west border to capture a male in the same location;
platforms would be used by the west border to recapture Joana and also as an
alternative to capture a new male; and, shooting from the ground, an
alternate strategy to try to recapture Joana after tracking her signal and
approaching at a distance on foot. In both the tracking and platform
scenarios, we would use a dart gun. In the area close to the headquarters we
planned to use platforms and also shooting from the ground. There are
patches of mango and guava trees close to the lodge, and we wanted to
monitor these areas at night to look for tapirs. Distance shooting would
require a different drug protocol, because we wanted the anesthetics to have
effect as fast as possible to avoid problems. I had eight unused collars
available. During the first days of the capture round, Dr. Paulo Mangini was
still in Curitiba, where he lives, preparing for the field round and working
on the immobilization protocol. His arrival on March 17th officially began
the proceedings.
03/17/2000: Once Dr. Mangini arrived, we organized all of our equipment and
held a meeting of the team to finalize planning. Another purpose for the
meeting was so that Dr. Mangini could explain the capture protocol (i.e.,
silence and roles) and describe the function of all of the equipment to our
trainees and visitors. That night we began to attempt captures near the
lodge. At 8:00 p.m., the two field assistants and Dr. Mangini began driving
with the pistol and dart guns in search of tapirs near the mango and guava
trees, while the rest of us stayed at the lodge, ready to leave at the first
notice of a capture. However, Dr. Mangini and the assistants returned
shortly because the new Telinject darts seemed to not work with the butane
gas that Dr. Mangini uses to pressurize them. He fixed the problem and they
went out again, searching by vehicle until 6:00 a.m. . . . but without luck.
03/18/2000: We checked the bait stations. It had rained the previous night,
so it was difficult to determine if there had been any tapir activity,
because the rain washes away both the bait and tracks. However, it looked as
though there had been no activity on the north border. The team dug the
first pitfall in the west border area near the platform we had already built
to try to capture Joana. Digging pitfalls is very difficult work. While the
field assistants dug in the heat of the afternoon, we set up a camera trap
in the middle of a well-used tapir trail to find out whether Joana or other
tapirs were using it, and we checked other areas for activity. In the
evening, Dr. Mangini, Homero, and Zezinho went to check on a bait station
near a dry lake bed close to the lodge where we had seen many tapir tracks
on a previous day. Guava fruits were everywhere, and the tapirs were feeding
on them. They heard two distinct tapir vocalizations, made by a mother and
calf, and waited for them to come closer in order to attempt to dart the
female. After a few hours, the female and her calf returned, and were only
two meters away from the team, but Dr. Mangini was unable to dart because of
the thick vegetation that stood between them. Shortly thereafter, the mother
and calf disappeared into the jungle. The team slept in the car, taking
turns trying to nap and watching for tapirs. But again they had no luck.
During this time the rest of us, fully dressed in boots and gear, waited at
the lodge for a runner to tell us to come to the capture site and bring the
gear -- collars, measuring tape, etc.
(CONTINUED NEXT E-MAIL)
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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 habitats"
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