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. It 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.

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

Of those 120 Specialist Groups within the SSC, Tapir Specialist Group (TSG) consists of 34 members representing Argentina, Belize, Brasil, Colombia, Guyana, Honduras, Indonesia, Malaysia, México, Thailand, the United States and Venezuela.

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 (Tapirs: Status, Survey and Conservation Action Plan) has been developed and published (1997). Beginning in 1999, the newsletter, Tapir Conservation, is expanding 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.

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.

Copies of some of the TSG literature, including the English version of the Action Plan and several issues of the newsletter can be found at the TSG Action Plan and newsletter links.
See also our 2004 Red List document which outlines the status and distribution of each species of tapir. (Word document, 172 Kb. Right click and "save as" or click on link to open).

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

Patrícia Medici, M.Sc.
M.Sc. in Wildlife Ecology, Conservation and Management

Ph.D. Candidate, Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE), University of Kent, United Kingdom
Lowland Tapir Conservation Initiative, IPĘ - Instituto de Pesquisas Ecológicas (Institute for Ecological Research)
Chair, IUCN/SSC Tapir Specialist Group (TSG)
Convener, IUCN/SSC Conservation Breeding Specialist Group (CBSG) - Brasil Regional Network

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E-mail: epmedici(at)uol.com.br; medici(at)ipe.org.br; epm5(at)kent.ac.uk
Skype: patricia.medici