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Latest GPS Technology Assists in Tapir Research
Lowland tapirs (Tapirus terrestris) are an important game species and are locally threatened in many areas due to hunting and habitat destruction. Tapirs have been classified as vulnerable in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and are listed in CITES Appendix II. Very few field studies have been conducted on tapirs in the Amazon, however good knowledge of their ecology is important for their conservation and management. As an example; tapir frequently use natural mineral licks to supplement their diet. One single lick can be visited by over 30 individuals in the course of a few weeks. Local hunters take advantage of this behavior and often use these licks to wait for tapirs. This however can have a much larger impact on a tapir population than hunting on trails and shows the importance including mineral licks in conservation planning.
In 2004 BRIT started a field research project on tapirs in the Peruvian Amazon. We successfully captured 10 tapirs and equipped them with GPS collars. These GPS collars are based on a new technology with much improved success rate under heavy rainforest canopy. The first collars recovered this year recorded on average 30 positions per day, much more data than has ever been collected on tapirs. This data gives us detailed information on tapirs movement patterns, home range size and habitat use. The data also shows us how far the animals walk to visit mineral licks and how frequently they use these resources. Camera traps set up at mineral licks show us how frequently animals visit, what their activity patterns are and how many individuals can visit a single lick.
During the first year of this study we also identified 150 seed species dispersed by tapirs at our study site. This is a much higher number than has ever been found at any other site and shows the importance of tapirs for maintaining rainforests diversity.