The Baird's Tapir Project of Costa Rica

The Baird's tapir project is the longest ongoing tapir project in the WORLD!! It was started in 1994 by Charles Foerster and is now run by Kendra Bauer, a Doctoral student at the University of Texas at Austin. The project is located at Corcovado National Park in Sirena Biological Station on the Osa Peninsula, the southern most peninsula in Costa Rica. This project has laid the groundwork for tapir social systems and habitat preferences. There are currently twelve tapirs radio collared.

The information gained from this ecology study is crucial information used in creating husbandry guidelines and IUCN Tapir Specialist Group plans of action every two years, just to name a few. The information obtained by our research will help park officials make decisions about park boundaries and conservation of land. These guidelines determined in part by unique research and observations done on the tapirs in Costa Rica contribute to the continuation of this species.

• What do we already know about the tapirs?
• What are the ongoing and future research projects?
• How do you attach a radio collar to a 600 lb mammal?
• Contribute to the project!