The newly discovered species, Tapirus kabomani, has apparently been known to the indigenous tribes of South America for many years and, although reports were made of this "different kind" of Tapir, scientists disregarded the information saying that the indigenous people must have been wrong.
The Kabomani tapir, named so after the Paumari word for tapir, is closely related to the Brazilian tapir however genetic research suggests that the the two species separated from one another around 300,000 years ago. The Kabomani tapir is much smaller than any other tapir and sports much darker hair. Being the smallest of the five species, conservationists are likely to name this new species the Pygmy or Dwarf tapir.
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| Photo credit: Fabrico R. Santos - A female (left) and male (right) Kabomani tapir caught on a camera trap. |
As megafauna, their existence is highly important for the maintenance of the ecosystems in which they live and they also play an important role in many indigenous tribes, both as food and in mythologies. Sadly, due their scarce numbers, the Kabomani tapir is likely to become more threatened than the other species. The area in which they are found, in the southwest Amazon, is also facing huge road-building projects and increasing rates of deforestation therefore further threatening them.
It is now down to conservationists to confirm their numbers and distributional range and put in place efforts to ensure their conservation status is managed effectively.
