Baird's tapir  (Tapirus bairdii)

Baird's tapir is primarily under threat from habitat loss throughout much of its former range. The low reproductive rate of this species means that populations are particularly vulnerable to disturbance such as habitat loss and hunting (7). Vast tracts of rainforest are being cleared to make way for cattle ranching and developments; almost all of the forest in El Salvador has been lost and there is no recent information to suggest that Baird's tapir persists in this country (7).

Baird's tapir, the national symbol of Belize, is protected in the majority of Central American countries, although hunting laws are often poorly enforced (7). Populations are unable to withstand mass logging practices, but have been known to survive and even prosper in areas where selective logging occurs, which could be an important factor in their conservation (7). The IUCN/SSC Tapir Specialist Group has published a Species Action Plan identifying key actions required to protect this species; including species status surveys and the protection of habitat (7). Having persisted for millennia almost unchanged, the continuing survival of the tapirs depends primarily on the maintenance of their habitat in some form.