Baird's Tapir (Tapirus bairdii)
Xcaret - Riviera Maya
Carretera Chetúmal-Puerto Juárez Kilómetro 282, Solidaridad, 77710 Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, México
17 Mayo 2014
Endemic to southern Mexico including the whole of the Yucatan Peninsula, Central America and the northern fringes of South America especially along the Pacific Coast in Colombia and Ecuador, Baird's Tapir is an endangered species and according to our cited source there exist but an estimated 5,500 of these mammals in the wild (as of 2006) with the larger number existing in Mexico. At Xcaret there was a single Baird's Tapir in the enclosure provided for it and this specimen is represented in these images. We wonder how many of the species find themselves in ecological enclosures and out of the wild as efforts may occur to try and preserve the species. Its prognosis in the wild is not favorable according to the source we cite and related sources that were consulted.
We quote verbatim from the Tapir Specialist Group's Web site:
Range: Distributed from Oaxaca Province in Mexico through Central America to the western side of the Andean mountain range in Colombia (the Darien). It occurs in rainforests, lower montane forests, deciduous forests, flooded grasslands and marsh areas.
Characteristics: Up to 1.5 meters long (5 feet) and 250 kg (550 pounds).
Status: Endangered
Conservation threats: The major threats to the species are habitat destruction and fragmentation and hunting throughout its range.
Population Estimate (2006): Estimates suggest that there are less than 5,500 Baird’s tapir remaining in the wild, with populations in Mexico under 1,500, Guatemala under 1,000, Honduras under 500, Nicaragua under 500, Republic of Panama under 1,000, Costa Rica under 1000, and Colombia approximately 250. Populations of Baird's tapir are in a continuing decline.
Behavior
Mating: Primarily solitary, the species forms occasional associations with others and for breeding.
Sounds: Communication is by a range of whistles of different pitch and duration.
Source: "Tapirus bairdii (Baird's Tapir)," Tapir Specialist Group, photographs, description, range map, accessed 2.26.16, http://www.tapirs.org/tapirs/bairds.html
