The Pantanal is the largest inundated plain in the world and is a refuge for endangered species like the jaguar, tamandua, hyacinth macaw, the giant anteater and the giant otter. Covering approximately 160,000 km² of low elevation floodplain of the upper Rio Paraguay and its tributaries, in the center of the South American continent, roughly the size of the United Kingdom.
The dry and wet seasons are a remarkable characteristic of this ecosystem and dictate the rhythm of the incredible wild life sheltered in its ecosystem. There are an estimated 3,500 species of plants, 124 species of mammals, 177 species of reptiles, 41 species of amphibians and at least 423 species of birds.
The Pantanal is considered “globally outstanding” in terms of biological distinctiveness and “vulnerable” in terms of conservation. The establishment of the long-term lowland tapir project in the Pantanal region is a very important due to the key role tapirs play in maintaining critical ecosystem functions. As an indicator species, the tapir is critical for the long-term conservation of the Pantanal.
The Houston Zoo has supported Tapir field researcher Patricia Medici and her work for since 2004. Over the past 12 years, Patricia Medici’s lowland tapir project in the Atlantic Forest has successfully captured, radio-collared and monitored twenty-five (25) tapirs (13 females and 12 males), and has collected hundreds of samples of biological materials, which allows a considerable amount of new information about tapir ranging behavior, demography, dispersal patterns, genetics, epidemiology, and feeding ecology.
Male Tapir, Brazil. Photo by Pati Medici
This is the first long-term tapir conservation initiative carried out in Brazil and has provided a detailed database of information about the conservation status and needs of tapirs in the fragmented landscape of the Pontal do Paranapanema Region. Pati has expanded her project in terms of continuing to promote the conservation of lowland tapirs in Brazil to conduct research and conservation initiatives to other regions of the country, more specifically other types of biomes.
For more on Pati Medici and Tapirs, please go to http://www.tapirconservation.org.br/
You can travel with the Houston Zoo to visit Pati Medici and the Pantanal in July 2010 http://www.houstonzoo.org/travel-pantanal/
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