The globally endangered Baird’s tapir Tapirus bairdii is the largest native terrestrial mammal in Mesoamerica. Today, < 5,000 individuals are estimated to remain in the wild from Southeast Mexico to Northern Colombia. Baird’s tapirs are herbivorous, hindgut fermenters, that have long- distance movements. Due to this, tapirs play a key role in seed dispersal, hence influencing forest structure and composition (thus referred to as “gardeners of the forest”). In Costa Rica, tapirs occur in many habitats ranging from coastal ecosystems such as in Corcovado National Park, to highland ecosystems such as the paramo at the Talamanca Highlands. Costa Rica has one of the largest Baird’s tapir populations, although most individuals are restricted to protected areas.
We aim to institute a national Baird’s tapir (Tapirus bairdii) health surveillance program by strengthening an already-established collaborative network with local communities, farmers, park rangers from the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC), laboratories, academic researchers, and other decision makers. This program will focus on tapir populations in the Tenorio-Miravalles Biological Corridor (TMBC), the Western Guanacaste Region (WGR), Northern Lowlands (NL), Western Talamanca Highlands (WTH), and the Osa Peninsula (OP). The establishment of a national health surveillance program is a key step for the conservation of tapirs in Costa Rica, which has one of the largest populations of Baird’s tapirs throughout their range.
We have partnered with the Costa Rica Wildlife Foundation (CRWF), a Costa Rican NGO which is leading tapir conservation in Costa Rica using cutting-edge research, educational outreach, and partnering with local communities and the government to find lasting solutions for achieving human-tapir coexistence. The proposed project is part of an ongoing research project based at the Tenorio-Miravalles Biological Corridor (TMBC), nestled between two protected areas: the Tenorio Volcano National Park (TNP) and the Miravalles Volcano National Park (MNP), in Northwestern, Costa Rica.
Funder: Morris Animal Foundation
Amount: $144,126
PI: Sonia Hernandez, Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources