Photo credit: Diego Lizcano
The Mountain Tapir, Tapirus pinchaque, is listed as ‘ENDANGERED’ on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™. This species survives in a few remaining undisturbed refuges high in the Andes of Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.
The major threats to the Mountain Tapir are destruction and fragmentation of its habitat, illegal hunting for food, and the use of body parts in folk medicine. The introduction of livestock to the area has also introduced new diseases and attracted more predators into its range.
The species is protected by law throughout its distribution and is listed on an international convention (CITES) to ensure trade does not threaten its survival. However, illegal hunting remains a major threat. Populations occur within a number of protected reserves in Columbia and Ecuador and a small number of individuals are held in zoos. The IUCN/SSC Tapir Specialist Group (TSG) was created in 1980 to promote the research and conservation of the four species of tapirs in their areas of occurrence in South and Central America, and Southeast Asia.
Geographic Range of Mountain Tapirs
Credit: IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
To learn more about the Mountain Tapir, click here. Or visit the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species by clicking their logo below.
