Lowland tapir

    The lowland tapir lives in the rainforests of South America and is strongly affected when the forest areas rapidly decrease. Lowland Tapir Conservation Initiative (LTCI) works in Brazil to collect information in order to build the world´s biggest database regarding tapirs. With this database, strategies can be formed to help protect the tapir in different parts of Brazil. Kolmården Foundation helps support this important work.

    The tapirs living environment is affected

    Rainforests used to cover 14% of the world’s surface, but today it only covers about half that area. Deforestation of the forests is executed to make room for mines along with large sugar cane- and palm tree plantations. The land can also be used as pasture for domesticated farm animals. This leads to great difficulties for the animals living here, among others the lowland tapirs. Poaching, traffic accidents and poisoning from pesticides are also a great threats to the species.

    Lowland Tapir Conservation Initiative (LTCI) gathers information

    Since 1996, Lowland Tapir Conservation Initiative (LTCI) has gathered information on the tapir and the different areas in which it lives: The Atlantic Forest, Pantanal, Cerrado and the Amazon. The long-term goal is to secure the survival of the Lowland tapir in these four areas.

    As a part of the project, the animals are caught and sedated. Then they given a GPS-tag so its movements can be tracked and social interactions between other tapirs can be monitored. When the animal is sedated, heath checks are also performed through analysis of blood samples, urine, fur and droppings.

    Important information is also gathered from camera traps, which register and take automatic pictures when the animals pass the camera.

    This information is used to build the biggest tapir database in the world and will help in setting a conservation strategy for the tapir.

    Education in schools and to the public will help shed light on the tapirs and their vulnerability

    Through educational programs, LTCI help people to gain knowledge of the tapirs and the hardships they are faced with. They also educate landowners and schoolchildren. Posters with information along with social media is used to put focus on the, to many people unknown animal.

    Kolmården Foundation donates money for the part of the project where the animal is sedated and given a GPS-tag. For example, donations for medicines, sampling materials and other costs during field work.