Baird’s Tapir Ecology and Conservation in Mexico Revisited

Abstract

Baird’s tapir (Tapirus bairdii) is endangered throughout its distribution range mainly due to habitat loss and overhunting. An increasing number of studies have been done on the distribution, abundance, and other ecological aspects of this mammal in Mexico and Central America within the past decade. These studies have shed new light on the ecology and behavior of Baird’s tapirs in the wild and, more importantly, some of them suggest that tapir populations face a variety of circumstances ranging from local recovery within the largest protected areas through increasing isolation in unprotected forest fragments across southeastern Mexico. This work presents a perspective on the results from those studies and their implications for tapir conservation in the country.