MOUNTAIN TAPIR FOREVER

Community-Based Mountain Tapir Conservation

Established 2017

“A large animal needs a large area.
If you protect that area, you’re also protecting
thousands of other plants and animals.”
~ George Schaller

An initiative of:

In memory of Sheryl Todd

“We work with local communities to conserve the last refuges of the mountain tapir.”

The Mountain Tapir

Tapirus pinchaque, its scientific name refers to its mysterious and elusive nature, like a ghost of the night.

The IUCN estimates a population of only 2500 individuals for the mountain tapir and declining. This species requires the most urgent contributions from tapir advocates around the world!

Our Strategy

“We seek to give visibility to the communities that, often silently, contribute to the conservation of Andean ecosystems thanks to the presence of the mountain tapir in their territories. Although their efforts sustain the Andean forests and páramos that provide water for millions of people and large companies, they rarely receive any form of recognition or compensation.

We have developed a conservation model that brings science and community together to protect the mountain tapir, its ecosystems, and associated species, ensuring their survival into the future.”

Anonymous heroes of conservation, like Víctor Flórez, protect vast areas of páramo that were once transformed for cattle ranching in Colombia’s Central Andes. Today, these territories have once again become refuges for the mountain tapir, the spectacled bear, the puma, the frailejón, and hundreds of other species, while also ensuring a constant flow of water for the communities living downstream.

Our Strategy

“We promote the creation of Community Conservation Centers (CCCs), spaces where local communities lead the protection of the mountain tapir and its habitats. To strengthen them, we build the capacities of environmental leaders in areas such as permaculture and community-based research, while also supporting the development of infrastructure that facilitates the arrival of researchers, interns, and volunteers. In this way, communities gain economic benefits while ensuring the sustainability of regional biodiversity and the conservation of the mountain tapir.”

A short summary of our work so far

Since 2017, Mountain Tapir Forever (MTF) has been dedicated to the conservation of the mountain tapir in the Andes of Colombia. What started as a short assignment for a third party, has evolved into a community-driven conservation project, working alongside local organizations to study and protect this endangered species.

Through research, community development, and education, MTF has implemented strategies to document tapir populations, train local communities in conservation techniques, and create sustainable solutions that benefit both people and wildlife. With support from organizations such as the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Conservation Grant Program, the Cali Zoological Foundation, and individual donors, our work has expanded to new conservation areas and continues to develop innovative approaches to protecting the species.

In recent years, we have conducted field expeditions, mapped potential tapir habitats using advanced satellite imagery, and initiated community-led monitoring groups. Our long-term vision is to establish a network of Community-based Conservation Centers (CCC) across the Colombian Andes, that have the mountain tapir as a flag species , ensuring a sustainable future for the species through local engagement and scientific research. In the meantime, we are developing a pilot project of our strategy with a local community in San Agustín, in the Colombian Massif in the southern Andes of Colombia.

Learn more about our journey and latest initiatives here

Tapir guardians are a key part of our strategy

When people join our initiative to protect the mountain tapir, everything begins to transform in favor of the species. Our allies can participate in different ways: benefactors as volunteers, students through internships, and researchers by staying in the territory to study the tapir, its ecosystem, and the species that share its habitat