A giant reappears: Colombian tapir (Tapirus terrestris colombianus (Perissodactyla: Tapiridae)) in Magdalena Medio Antioquia, Colombia

Abstract

The Lowland tapir, Tapirus terrestris, is the most widely distributed species in South America. In Colombia it presents a fragmented distribution, with three subspecies: Tapirus terrestris terrestris, Tapirus terrestris aenigmaticus and Tapirus terrestris colombianus (the Colombian Tapir). This last subspecies is endemic to the country. Much of the original distribution for the Colombian Tapir is threatened by the expansion of the agricultural-livestock border and hunting, which is why it is considered extinct in many localities. After 19 years without reports in Magdalena Medio, Antioquia, Colombia, we documented the first records that confirm its reappearance in the area. Although these records seem to point to a recent recolonization of the area, the low population densities due to anthropogenic pressure possibly made it go unnoticed for years. The high anthropic pressures on natural ecosystems indicate the problems that the species faces in terms of conservation in the near future in the region.