MOUNTAIN TAPIR CLUB
Did you know that the mountain tapir is one of the most endangered big mammals in the Andes? Experts of IUCN consider that there are as few as 2500 individuals in the wild and decreasing!
Sadly there are very few conservation projects focused on the species, and Mountain Tapir Forever is the only long-term project in Colombia. We started in 2017 as a very local project, but now we want to replicate the conservation model we have been building along with local communities, to areas that function as dispersal corridors for the species.
We are currently identifying the most probable dispersal routes between population cores in the central Andes of Colombia. We are also working on the identification of local communities living in key areas for the dispersal of the mountain tapir. With these communities we`ll be working on community monitoring of the species using camera traps.
But, why dispersal of the species is so important? Because isolated populations of the mountain tapir have little chances of survival in the long term. When populations of a species are isolated the chances of extinction are higher due to demographic, catastrophic of stochastic events. Also evolutionary and genetic processes are disrupted, affecting the fitness of the species to events like climate change.
Once we have identified the most probable dispersal routes for the species, we will work on the identification of local communities living near these areas, we will visit them and we will propose them to become part of a network of mountain tapir community monitoring groups. With these communities we will replicate the work model developed during our previous work, which has the components of research, education and community development.
What about the problem of poaching of mountain tapirs? Our conservation model also addresses the problem of mountain tapir hunting. When we equip local communities with the knowledge and tools to monitor mountain tapirs in the wild, they become stakeholders of the tapir cause and become involved in the enforcement of wildlife protection laws.
How will you know if the project is succeeding in mitigating the problems of population isolation and poaching of the mountain tapir? Community monitoring following a series of protocols will allow us to implement a series of methodologies to estimate population parameters such as the density of the species or the probability of occupation of the territory. These parameters will serve as indicators of the population dynamics of the species in the dispersal areas, which in turn will serve as an indicator of population trends in the core areas represented mainly by the national parks. In summary, thanks to the community work in the dispersal areas or biological corridors of the species, we will be able to evaluate whether the population is growing, stable or in continuous decline. This information will guide us in modifying management practices to ensure the long-term conservation of the species.
What is the idea behind the Mountain Tapir Club? The development of a long-term project such as the one proposed here for the mountain tapir requires the maintenance of a team of collaborators who will focus their efforts on stabilising the project until it begins to achieve the proposed goals. In the initial stage of the project, it is essential to have people who believe in the long-term viability of the initiative. That is why we turn to people interested in the tapir cause to strengthen the consolidation of our project through recurring voluntary contributions under the financing model proposed here. The main dividend that those who invest in our project will receive will be the satisfaction of having contributed to the conservation of the mountain tapir in the long term, as evidenced by the progress of the initiative through regular reports of the implemented actions and the progress of the proposed indicators that show how our conservation strategy is being effective in the medium and long term.
All our activities are carried out on a non-profit basis and are focused on making an important contribution to the conservation of the mountain tapir.
We believe that the long-term conservation of the mountain tapir will only be possible if we get the local communities to lead the management, monitoring and law enforcement actions, so that the tapir habitats are protected and continue to serve as a refuge for the species.
We invite you to become part of our initiative by joining The Mountain Tapir Club by filling out the Affiliation Form and then following the link to our PayPal account to make your monthly or annual contribution as a member of the Club.
Please follow the link to our PayPal account (tpflatin@gmail.com) by clicking in the yellow Donate button below: