Sometimes history surprises us with unexpected discoveries. In Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), cameras from the State Institute for the Environment (INEA) have captured the image of a mammal that is said to be extinct and is the largest in South America. We are talking about the South American tapir (Tapirus terrestris), in the Costa Verde region.
The South American tapir, the mammal that was extinct
The magazine Forum quotes Agência Brasil and there are more than 100 images and videos revealing the presence of three tapirs, including a female and a calf, walking through the forests of the Atlantic Forest in the Cunhambebe State Park (PEC), a conservation area of some 40,000 hectares. This site includes areas for endangered species
The discovery of the tapir comes after more than a century without records of this type of mammal, the last being in 1914 when they were seen in the Serra dos Orgaos National Park. Due to intensive hunting and rapid urbanization, this species was practically extinct.
The South American tapir is key to the ecosystem of the Atlantic Forest region, as it acts as a forest gardener by providing seeds in its habitat, so its sighting is great news for the ecosystem.
A unique find
This sighting of the South American tapir has surprised scientists, a unique event that has been documented by the State Institute of Environment (INEA).
This is how they detail from the Cunhambebe State Park (PEC) account what this sighting means: “This finding reinforces the importance of protected areas and conservation efforts in the recovery of emblematic species. The PEC serves as a sanctuary for endangered species, allowing the maintenance of diverse essential ecological interactions such as seed dispersal, population control and genetic flow.”