The Tapir Master arrives

Tapir Master

Tapir Master

Well-Known Member
5+ year member
Hello, I’ve been a long time lurker if this forum and decided that it would be time to join.

Zoos were always a favorite place to go to, especially in Chicago. Lincoln Park and Brookfield were the only places I’ve ever went to growing up as both had their ups and downs. Favorite animals include seals, bears, lions, elephants, and especially tapirs.

I’m hoping we can get along with one another.
 
Jungle Man said:
I have also only seen Baird's, they are the only species that inhabit Panama and the zoos here have them. Seeing tapirs in the wild would be incredible.
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I don't imagine that seeing them in the wild would be that difficult in some areas of Panama (though I know their populations are decreasing as a result of anthropogenic stressors).

I've seen three species of tapir in captivity numerous times (lowland / Brazilian, Malayan and Baird's) and two species in the wild (Baird's and lowland) on several occasions (the Baird's just once but the lowland tapir multiple times).

The only one I am now missing is the mountain tapir and I hope I can see one (either wild or captivity) at some point in the future.
 
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Onychorhynchus coronatus said:
I don't imagine that seeing them in the wild would be that difficult in some areas of Panama (though I know their populations are decreasing as a result of anthropogenic stressors).

I've seen three species of tapir in captivity numerous times (lowland / Brazilian, Malayan and Baird's) and two species in the wild (Baird's and lowland) on several occasions (the Baird's just once but the lowland tapir multiple times).

The only one I am now missing is the mountain tapir and I hope I can see one (either wild or captivity) at some point in the future.
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Unless you also count the little black tapir (Tapirus kabomani) as an official tapir species, however there is much uncertainty about this.
 
JurassicMax said:
Unless you also count the little black tapir (Tapirus kabomani) as an official tapir species, however there is much uncertainty about this.
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True, but personally I'm very cynical / skeptical about the existence of this "new tapir species". I think there has been very sketchy evidence produced to date to support this claim.

Don't get me wrong, it would actually be amazing if it was indeed a new species but I just dont think there is enough evidence to support the hypothesis.

I should mention there are quite a lot of big names in the world of the IUCN tapir conservation in Latin America (particularly in Brazil), Europe and North America who dispute the description of it as a new species too but there are more than a few true believers too.
 
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Tapir Master said:
Never knew there was such debate about the little black tapir.

Although I can understand if it’s just a subspecies than a new species entirely.
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Yes, quite a fierce debate too from what I hear through the grapevine.

Apart from the need to have scientific evidence to prove the existence of a new species this area of science is taxonomy and taxonomy can be a very combative field indeed and controversy and disagreements are never too far away.
 
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