Movement ecology of vulnerable lowland tapirs between areas of varying human disturbance

Lowland tapirs exhibit remarkably consistent movement behavior and space use across diverse biomes, including the Pantanal, Cerrado, and Atlantic Forest, regardless of varying levels of human disturbance. This unexpected finding challenges the assumption that anthropogenic impacts significantly alter animal movement patterns. Using a 22-year telemetry dataset, researchers analyzed tapir movement in areas with differing habitat composition and disturbance levels, revealing no detectable effect on their home range size or behavior. The study suggests that human-modified habitats may pose risks as ecological traps for lowland tapirs, necessitating tailored conservation strategies to protect this vulnerable species.

Medici, E. P., Mezzini, S., Fleming, C. H., Calabrese, J. M., & Noonan, M. J. (2022). Movement ecology of vulnerable lowland tapirs between areas of varying human disturbance. Movement Ecology, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40462-022-00313-w