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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.
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.
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| 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
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