Lowland tapir  (Tapirus terrestris)

Deforestation, hunting and competition with domestic livestock have all contributed to the decline and fragmentation of lowland tapir populations (1). Hunted for subsistence food and commercial sale, the large size of lowland tapir makes them a prized game mammal for native and rural people of South America (8). Hunting for tapir meat is increasing as the wild-meat industry develops, with tapir meat now frequently sold in city markets throughout South America. In Paraguay and Argentina tapirs are hunted for their hides, which are commonly used in Paraguay to make sandals that are sold to tourists as souvenirs. In Colombia the species is listed as endangered due to over-hunting (8).

Tapirs have also been taken from the wild to be kept as pets by Paraguayan and Peruvian aristocracy, where they are often poorly cared for and malnourished (8). Other threats include anti-drug chemicals used by authorities against cocaine growers, which can eventually end up in the food chain and poison tapirs (7). Road-kills are also common in reserves within close proximity to human settlement (8).

Although protected areas do exist within the range of the lowland tapir, they are sparse in certain countries (there is only one reserve in Guyana, established in the early 1990s), and those reserves that are close to human settlements often suffer from poaching. A priority of the IUCN/SSC Tapir Specialist Group is to develop projects that will reduce hunting by establishing more reserves and promoting the sustainable harvest of wildlife by rural hunters. The second priority is to reduce habitat destruction through firmly managed agro-forestry projects. However, it is difficult to enforce hunting laws in remote areas when there is a direct economic benefit. Yet, if hunting continues at its current levels, local extinction of lowland tapir populations is almost certain (8).