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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. 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.
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| 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
Address: Rua América, 1.090, Centro, Corumbá, CEP: 79300-070, Mato Grosso do
Sul, BRAZIL
Phone & FAX: +55-67-3232-5842 / Cell Phone: +55-18-8119-3839
E-mail: epmedici(at)uol.com.br; medici(at)ipe.org.br;
epm5(at)kent.ac.uk
Skype: patricia.medici
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