Brazil is a global reference in lowland tapir research and conservation thanks to a project that has built the world’s largest database on South America’s largest terrestrial mammal
Photo credit: Lucas Ninno
Thirty years ago, INCAB – the National Initiative for the Conservation of the Brazilian Tapir, a project of IPÊ – Institute for Ecological Research, launched a pioneering effort to study tapirs in Brazil. Three decades later, the project has captured 571 tapirs, monitored 160 individuals using satellite telemetry collars, and identified and monitored 600 individuals through camera traps deployed across the country. What began as a simple ecology study in Morro do Diabo State Park, in western São Paulo State, has become a global benchmark in the conservation of South America’s largest terrestrial mammal, a species classified as Vulnerable to extinction.
Today, INCAB-IPÊ operates across five Brazilian biomes: the Amazon, Caatinga, Cerrado, Atlantic Forest, and Pantanal. Research conducted by the multidisciplinary team has generated findings that have advanced scientific knowledge. Researchers discovered, for example, that tapirs are polygamous, contrary to previous assumptions, and confirmed the species’ presence in the Caatinga, where it was once considered locally extinct. In addition, toxicology studies involving tapirs led researchers to identify human populations contaminated by agrochemicals and heavy metals in the Cerrado region of Mato Grosso do Sul.
“Conducting conservation work in today’s world is no simple task. It is a constant and challenging struggle. Having a project of this scale and longevity in our country is absolutely extraordinary and a reason for tremendous pride and celebration. Species conservation is usually not considered a priority and requires significant support. Over these 30 years, we have benefited from the institutional and financial partnership of hundreds of individuals and organizations, particularly international ones, which has allowed us to come this far,” says Patricia Medici, Coordinator of INCAB-IPÊ.
INCAB-IPÊ, in partnership with NITRO Histórias Visuais, a Minas Gerais–based producer of communication content and cultural and educational projects, is launching a feature-length documentary entitled TAPIR to celebrate its three decades of work. The documentary is a story of passion, dedication, and inspiration and will be the first Brazilian film about the tapir, the Gardener of the Forest—a species vital to the formation and maintenance of forests. Filmed across five Brazilian biomes, the production features breathtaking imagery that captures both the splendor of Brazil’s natural landscapes and the threats they face.
The film will premiere in June in four Brazilian cities: Rio de Janeiro (RJ), São Paulo (SP), Belo Horizonte (MG), and Brasília (DF). To build excitement for the release and celebrate World Tapir Day on April 27, INCAB-IPÊ is hosting an art contest in which the winner will receive a painting created by a tapir and a ticket to the film screening in the city of their choice. Contest rules are available on Instagram at @incab.brasil.
“The production of TAPIR was an incredible journey. It took nearly a year on the road—and several additional months of research and pre-production. It all began during a casual conversation over the coffee break of an event and ultimately became this documentary that tells the story of so many people who have dedicated their lives to studying this species and understanding the challenges it faces. TAPIR goes far beyond telling the story of a single species. It reveals the connections that keep the world turning, often invisible, yet always present and profoundly human. Through the work of Patricia Medici and the entire INCAB-IPÊ team, the film follows this journey across Brazil’s biomes, showing that caring for a species also means sustaining the cycles that keep the planet in balance,” explains João Marcos Rosa, nature photographer and partner at NITRO HISTÓRIAS VISUAIS.
