Tapir Specialist Group Logo The IUCN/SSC-affiliated Tapir Specialist Group is a global group of biologists, zoo professionals, researchers and advocates dedicated to conserving tapirs and their habitat through strategic action-planning in countries where tapirs live, information sharing, and through educational outreach that shows the importance of the tapir to local ecosystems and to the world at large.

IUCN & SSC Logos Affiliated

  IUCN/SSC and the Tapir Specialist Group (TSG)

The Species Survival Commission (SSC) of the World Conservation Union (IUCN) is made up of about 7,000 volunteer members. The SSC is the largest of the IUCN commissions. World Conservation Union logoIt serves as the main source of advice to the union and its members on the technical aspects of species conservation. The SSC is a network comprised of 120 Specialist Groups and Task Forces, some addressing conservation issues related to particular groups of plants or animals, while others focus on topical issues such as reintroduction and sustainable use of species, veterinary issues etc. In addition, the SSC is responsible for the creation of the IUCN Red Data List, publication of action plans, newsletters, policy guidelines, organization of workshops etc. The SSC membership consists of over 7,000 volunteers (wildlife researchers, government officials, veterinarians, zoo employees, biologists, wildlife park managers etc) working in almost every country in the world.

IUCN Red List Status Reports for the Four Species of Tapir
Baird's Tapir
Malayan Tapir
Mountain Tapir
Lowland Tapir

The Tapir Specialist Group
Of those 120 Specialist Groups within the SSC, Tapir Specialist Group (TSG) consists of nearly 100 members representing all tapir range countries such as Argentina, Belize, Brasil, Colombia, Guyana, Honduras, Indonesia, Malaysia, México, Thailand, and holding countries such as the United States, Japan, Denmark and Canada.

tapir researchers
Capturing and sedating a lowland tapir in Morro do Diabo Park, Brazil. Photo by Patricia Medici

The Tapir Specialist Group was started in 1980. In 1990, Sharon Matola became Chair. Since that time, a newsletter has been printed annually and an Action Plan was developed and published 1997. Beginning in 1999 our Tapir Conservation newsletter expanded from one issue per year to two.

The Action Plan is a 164-page book focusing separately on each of the four tapir species. It summarizes much of what we know about each species, with emphasis on information that will help governments make decisions about conservation planning. Since this is also the first published book on tapirs, it contains much information that is useful to field researchers and others studying the genus. Suggestions given at the end of each chapter also help conservationists plan strategies that include the tapir.

View copies of our Tapir Action Plans
1998 Tapir Action Plan (zipped file)
2008 Tapir Action Plan

Tapir Conservation, the Specialist Group's newsletter, provides updates on the status of tapirs in the wild and in captivity, including reports on field projects, population information, news briefs and feature stories. Abstracts, publication notices, and short papers are included. The goal of the newsletter is to provide comprehensive updates on the conservation status of the tapir and on the work that is being done to protect it. Submissions are requested from both members and non-members. Submissions can range from a paragraph about your work to several pages worth of material. Our goal is to include notices on all field work if possible. Copies of the newsletter will be sent to contributors. Download copies of our newsletter at our main newsletter page.

Additional information on IUCN and SSP:
http://www.iucn.org
IUCNredlist.org
TSG reports in IUCN's Species magazine.

Contact the Tapir Specialist Group