A spotted lowland tapir calf rustles through the brush among the flat-topped, clustered rock formations, or tepuis, of Serranía de Chiribiquete National Park in central Colombia.
He looks a little like a furry watermelon, with his unique blackish-brown color with white stripes and spots. Blending into the surroundings, he scurries along through forest and within the shadows of majestic 1.3-billion-year-old tepuis, perhaps running into his neighbors: the jaguars, giant otters and seven primate species who call this 10.6-million-acre region home.
Baby South American (Lowland) tapir, Brazil.
Elsewhere, in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, the Central American tapir, or Baird’s tapir, traverses the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve, which spans 1.8 million acres of Mesoamerica’s Maya forest. Resembling a pig, rhinoceros, horse and anteater combined, the species is essentially a living fossil, around since the Eocene, a period dating back 55 million years.
These stout herbivores—which can be seen on Natural Habitat Adventures trips in Costa Rica, Brazil and Peru—are a prominent symbol of the Central and South American tropics. The calves, which remain with their moms at first and then become more solitary adults, are born with trademark white stripes and splotches that fade with age. They have a short, prehensile trunk that they use to pluck fruit and leaves from branches.
Baird’s tapir, Costa Rica.
Earning their moniker as “nature’s gardeners,” tapirs are crucial to seed dispersal across long distances through their droppings. This process helps regenerate forests, maintain biodiversity and provide food and shelter for countless other species. Without the tapir, many tropical ecosystems would be disrupted
Threats to the Tapir: The Underdog of the Ecosystem
Tapir populations—including the Baird’s tapir, the lowland tapir and the mountain tapir of the Andes Mountains, as well as the Malayan tapir of Southeast Asia—are experiencing rapid declines. Because of their low numbers (the Baird’s tapir is endangered, while lowland tapirs are considered vulnerable), tapir sightings are rare.
Malayan tapir, Southeast Asia.
They live mainly within national reserves and protected areas where hunting is banned, and they’re wary of people. Tapirs hide from predators by wading knee-deep into swamps and camouflaging themselves at the first sign of danger. They’re fast runners and can nimbly navigate the forest, but it’s often not enough to save them from pursuers, as they leave a discernible trail behind them. Dogs can easily pick up their musky scent and the dung that marks their territories.
Thirsty Tapirs
Despite surviving through millennia and multiple waves of extinction, today’s tapirs face a new threat: climate change. Like their natural predator, the jaguar, with which they share habitat, tapirs are suffering more and more at the hands of humans through deforestation, agriculture and urban development. Recently, rising global temperatures and shifting weather patterns have meant more challenges for the increasingly rare tapir. Crucial water sources are drying up, and tapirs are thirsty.
Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, which marks the northernmost part of the Central America tapir’s range, has experienced prolonged periods of drought in recent years. Freshwater reserves are critical to the tapir’s survival—but there’s more to it than that.
There are no rivers or lakes here, as the soil consists of dissolved bedrock. Instead, the available water sources are small, shallow lagoons and small holes in the rocks (called sartenejas) that are filled only by rainwater. As rain patterns have changed, and drought is more common—in part due to human-caused climate change—these water stores simply don’t have enough rain for tapirs to sustain themselves throughout the dry season.
What’s more, some animals have entered communities in search of water, raiding and destroying artificial water supplies unintended for them. Stumbling into human territory may also cause the tapirs to raid crops on local farms. In Nicaragua’s Indio Maiz Biological Reserve, 63% of farmers have reported tapirs eating banana, plantain, corn, cassava and bean plants. Unfortunately, this leads to hunting, not only to keep the tapirs out of crops, but also for their meat and hides.
Baird’s tapir, Costa Rica.
Quenching the Thirst: Water for Tapirs
So, what’s being done to protect these increasingly rare creatures that have survived so much for so long? We return to the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve in Mexico, where Nat Hab’s conservation partner, World Wildlife Fund, and Mexico’s National Commission for Natural Protected Areas have installed water collection and storage systems for wildlife, particularly tapirs and white-lipped peccaries.
Adult male tapirs were fitted with a GPS collar so scientists could track their movement and understand their habits and water usage during the dry season. One of the collars generated approximately 300 location points, which showed a tendency to move toward the artificial water sources. Scientists plan to monitor the region’s water sources and install new sources in critical areas.
The WWF project is expected to benefit more than just the tapirs. Scientists have also set up camera traps to better understand the variety of wildlife that would use the intentionally placed water sources, including the second-largest jaguar population on the continent. The endangered tapir is important prey for the endangered jaguar, meaning that artificial water sources will directly and indirectly benefit both species.
South American tapir, Brazil’s Pantanal.
What Else Is Being Done to Protect Tapirs?
While artificial water sources are proving successful, this initiative alone won’t save the tapir. As we identify additional threats to their survival, more organizations are taking strides to safeguard the animals’ homes. Costa Rica has designated over 25% of its land as protected national parks and reserves, providing critical habitat for Baird’s tapirs and other endangered species.
Zoos and wildlife sanctuaries are participating in breeding programs to increase tapir populations. Even small losses in their numbers have a lasting impact due to their long gestation period and small birth rate. Tapir mothers give birth to a single calf after a 13-month gestation period. The Colombian Initiative of Tapir Conservation works with global campaigns and initiatives, including the Tapir Specialist Group and the Costa Rica Wildlife Foundation, to raise awareness about tapirs, foster collaboration between conservationists, and help local communities live peacefully with and act as tapir protectors.
Where to See Tapirs in the Wild
As they become increasingly rare, seeing a tapir in the wild is a truly special experience. At Nat Hab, our naturalist guides and Expedition Leaders have the expertise to take you to their habitat, show you how to recognize traces of the animals, and hopefully, help you catch a glimpse of one.
Tapir, Costa Rica. Photographed by Nat Hab Guest © Clifford Berger
Tapirs & Turtles in Costa Rica
Our new trip Sea Turtles & Wildlife of Northern Costa Rica exposes you to the areas of the country where the rare Baird’s tapir is most plentiful. Look for them with top naturalist guides in a protected area dedicated to the animals’ conservation. Known as Tapir Valley, this largely unknown private reserve, well off the standard tourist track, holds the country’s largest population of Baird’s tapir. While we’re not guaranteed to see them, the odds are better here than anywhere else. (And we often do!) Although classified as endangered, sightings are increasing, and local farmers are joining efforts to protect the Baird’s tapir habitat.
After sunset, we’ll watch and listen to the forest around us transform as nocturnal animals hunt, eat and look for mates. You’ll seek out amphibians, insects and mammals that are difficult to spot during the day, including a variety of frogs, sleeping birds and kinkajous. Look for tapir footprints on the network of private hiking trails that lace the reserve. Even when we don’t spot the tapirs themselves, it’s exciting to find evidence of their presence when we know they are active in the forest!
During this seven-day trip through Costa Rica’s Guanacaste province, you’ll also have the opportunity to witness the mass nesting of leatherback and olive ridley sea turtles as they come ashore at nighttime at Punta Islita and visit the Macaw Recovery Network.
> Sea Turtles & Wildlife of Northern Costa Rica
Tapir, Brazil. Photographed by Nat Hab Expedition Leader © Fred Tavares
Search for Tapirs in South America
On our Jaguars & Wildlife of Brazil’s Pantanal trip, guests enjoy an exclusive stay at Caiman Ecological Refuge, a remote and secluded base from which we seek out the tapir, giant anteater, ocelot and hyacinth macaw.
Fly directly via small plane into the refuge (avoiding a rugged 10-hour drive), which sits in the remote heart of a 130,000-acre sustainable cattle ranch. The protected area is an oasis of wooded and scrubby savanna, open pasture, stands of caranda palm, hammock forests, streams and seasonal channels—all of which provide sustenance for numerous Pantanal species, including the Brazilian tapir.
On private wildlife drives in the Caiman Ecological Refuge and further explorations of the Pantanal, we hope to spot a tapir, but also keep an eye out for the elusive jaguar, capybara, giant armadillo, giant river otter, maned wolf and caiman. With seven full days at three different locations in both the north and south Pantanal, you’re privy to the very best locations for wildlife viewing in this UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
> Jaguars & Wildlife of Brazil’s Pantanal
Nat Hab Guests explore Peru’s Amazon © Nat Hab Staff Megan Koelemay
Get a Peruvian Perspective on Tapirs
One more trip that might scratch that itch for possibly spotting a tapir: The Great Amazon River Expedition. During this trip, we’ll spend a day at Amazon Natural Park, where we’ll scout for capybara, howler and titi monkeys, tapirs, sloths and a wide range of birds.
In double kayaks and open skiffs, we’ll investigate a virtually unvisited section of Pacaya Samiria National Reserve, where the Yanayacu and Pucate rivers meet. This 5-million-acre sanctuary is Peru’s largest protected area, and you’ll learn all about the various micro-ecosystems and wildlife that exist amongst the giant kapok and strangler fig trees along the riverbank. In the evening, head to the top deck of our boat to listen to the symphony of night sounds, envisioning a tapir traipsing along somewhere out there.
> The Great Amazon River Expedition
Amazon River Delfin III
How Conservation Travel Helps Tapirs
Seeing a tapir in the wild is awe-inspiring, yes, but it’s also a reminder of the fragility of Earth’s ecosystems and the vital role one unassuming species can play in the health of our planet. Your trip with us to hopefully see a tapir in the wild is not only a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but a chance to support conservation efforts, travel responsibly and spread awareness so that the understated tapir may continue its vital role as nature’s gardener.
Search for tapirs with Nat Hab in Costa Rica, Brazil and Peru!
The post Tapirs: Nature’s Gentle Gardeners & Where to See Them first appeared on Good Nature Travel Blog.