Tapir Red Listing, Conservation Strategies, and Action Planning

Tapirs are a unique mammalian species found in the Neotropics and Southeast Asia, and the four recognized extant species face serious problems of habitat loss and illegal hunting throughout their range. Here, we describe the species and then the actions and steps that society is taking to overcome these negative trends in tapir populations. First, we describe the status of the species within the IUCN Red List (International Union for Conservation of Nature); second, we describe the ‘conservation’ actions that some countries or regions are taking to conserve tapirs; third, we review the action plans that have been developed for tapirs in some countries; and finally, we conclude with some general recommendations that are working to protect and conserve tapirs in some countries.