Tapir population patterns under the disappearance of free-standing water

A long-term study of Baird’s tapir populations in the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve (CBR) revealed a slight decline in relative abundance, potentially linked to decreasing water availability from ephemeral ponds. The research used photo-trapping over 8 years (18,000+ camera-days) across 9–15 ponds, monitoring tapir presence amid a documented reduction in free-standing water between 2008 and 2018. While the population remained relatively stable overall, localized decreases correlated with diminished water sources, underscoring the vulnerability of this endangered species to environmental changes. Such studies are critical for predicting population trends and guiding conservation efforts.

Reyna-Hurtado, R., Sima-Pantí, D., Andrade, M., Padilla, A., Retana-Guaiscon, O., Sanchez-Pinzón, K., Martinez, W., Meyer, N., Moreira-Ramírez, J. F., Carrillo-Reyna, N., Rivero-Hernández, C. M., Serrano Mac-Gregor, I., Calmeand, S., & Arias Dominguez, N. (2019). Tapir population patterns under the disappearance of free-standing water. Therya, 10(3), 353–358. https://doi.org/10.12933/therya-19-902