#boycottgold — Public Fediverse posts

The Wooly #Tapir AKA Mountain Tapir gives birth to one calf at a time 🩷😻 They’re #endangered due to a many threats: #climatechange and #pollution from #gold mining. Resist for them! #BoycottPalmOil #BoycottGold 🥇☠️❌ #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetectives https://palmoildetectives.com/2025/12/28/mountain-tapir-tapirus-pinchaque/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer

The Wooly #Tapir AKA Mountain Tapir gives birth to one calf at a time 🩷😻 They’re #endangered due to a many threats: #climatechange and #pollution from #gold mining. Resist for them! #BoycottPalmOil #BoycottGold 🥇☠️❌ #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetectives https://palmoildetectives.com/2025/12/28/mountain-tapir-tapirus-pinchaque/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer

The Wooly #Tapir AKA Mountain Tapir gives birth to one calf at a time 🩷😻 They’re #endangered due to a many threats: #climatechange and #pollution from #gold mining. Resist for them! #BoycottPalmOil #BoycottGold 🥇☠️❌ #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetectives https://palmoildetectives.com/2025/12/28/mountain-tapir-tapirus-pinchaque/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer

The Wooly #Tapir AKA Mountain Tapir gives birth to one calf at a time 🩷😻 They’re #endangered due to a many threats: #climatechange and #pollution from #gold mining. Resist for them! #BoycottPalmOil #BoycottGold 🥇☠️❌ #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetectives https://palmoildetectives.com/2025/12/28/mountain-tapir-tapirus-pinchaque/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer

The alluring deep blue Glaucous #Macaw 🦜 has an immeasurably tragic tale to tell 😭🙁 Critically endangered in #SouthAmerica, fight for their survival, when you shop make sure you #Boycottpalmoil #BoycottGold 🚫🔥#Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetectives https://wp.me/pcFhgU-7R7?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer

The alluring deep blue Glaucous #Macaw 🦜 has an immeasurably tragic tale to tell 😭🙁 Critically endangered in #SouthAmerica, fight for their survival, when you shop make sure you #Boycottpalmoil #BoycottGold 🚫🔥#Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetectives https://wp.me/pcFhgU-7R7?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer

The alluring deep blue Glaucous #Macaw 🦜 has an immeasurably tragic tale to tell 😭🙁 Critically endangered in #SouthAmerica, fight for their survival, when you shop make sure you #Boycottpalmoil #BoycottGold 🚫🔥#Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetectives https://wp.me/pcFhgU-7R7?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer

The alluring deep blue Glaucous #Macaw 🦜 has an immeasurably tragic tale to tell 😭🙁 Critically endangered in #SouthAmerica, fight for their survival, when you shop make sure you #Boycottpalmoil #BoycottGold 🚫🔥#Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetectives https://wp.me/pcFhgU-7R7?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer

Kaapori #capuchins of #Brazil are intelligent and resourceful using tools to get food 🧠🐵 #Corporate #greed for #meat #palmoil #gold are threats! Fight back for them, be #vegan, #BoycottGold #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetectives https://palmoildetectives.com/2022/10/09/kaapori-capuchin-cebus-kaapori/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer

Ancient Orinoco #Crocodiles 🐊😻live in #Venezuela 🇻🇪 #Colombia 🇨🇴. They're critically endangered from #river #pollution from #gold mining, #palmoil 🌴 #meat 🥩 #deforestation. Support them! #BoycottGold #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife @[email protected] palmoildetectives.com/2021/03/18/o...

Orinoco Crocodile Crocodylus i...

Ancient Orinoco #Crocodiles 🐊😻live in #Venezuela 🇻🇪 #Colombia 🇨🇴. They are critically endangered from #river #pollution from #gold mining, #palmoil 🌴 #meat 🥩 #deforestation. Support them! #BoycottGold #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetectives https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/03/18/orinoco-crocodile-crocodylus-intermedius/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer

A beautiful and colourful #bird 🦜🕊️ the blue-billed #Currasow of #Colombia faces a plethora of serious threats incl. illegal #GoldMining 🩸🔥⛔️ and #PalmOil. Help them when and #BoycottGold #BoycottPalmOil 🌴🩸🚜🔥🚫 #Boycott4Wildlife @[email protected]
 youtu.be/4yd5AvFqxRM

Blue billed Curassow Crax albe...

A beautiful and colourful #bird 🦜🕊️ the blue-billed #Currasow of #Colombia faces a plethora of serious threats incl. illegal #GoldMining 🩸🔥⛔️ and #PalmOil. Help them when and #BoycottGold #BoycottPalmOil 🌴🩸🚜🔥🚫 #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/02/18/blue-billed-curassow-crax-alberti/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer

Thomas’s Big Eared #Bats 🦇🖤 have trumpet like ears for ultra sensitive hunting of insects in #PapuaNewGuinea, Only a handful remain alive. #PalmOil and #mining are major threats. #BoycottGold #BoycottPalmOil 🌴🤮☠️⛔ #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetectives https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/01/26/thomass-big-eared-bat-pharotis-imogene/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer

#Forests cool the planet, like natural #aircon. What happens when you cut them down? #Deforestation heats areas up to 4.5℃! Keep forests standing for #people and animals! #Boycottpalmoil 🌴🪔🧐🙊⛔️ #BoycottGold 🥇🪙🧐🙊🚫 #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetectives https://palmoildetectives.com/2022/08/14/without-tropical-forests-global-temperatures-would-be-1c-warmer/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer

Happy #WorldWolfDay Aug 13th! The unusual look of Maned #Wolves have earned them the nickname ‘Foxes on Stilts’, they are solitary hunters in #Brazil #Peru and #Bolivia. Help them to survive when you be #vegan and #BoycottGold #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetectives https://wp.me/pcFhgU-7Pv?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer

#Gold #mining kills #indigenous peoples 🩸 forcing women and children into sex #slavery! Help #Yanomami people forced violently from their #rainforest homes for the #greed of gold! 🪙⛔️ #BoycottGold #BoycottGold4Yanomami 🫶🌳 @palmoildetectives https://wp.me/pcFhgU-8uY?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer

Clever, joyful #Tucuxi are #dolphins 🐬💙 endangered by #hunting #gold #mining and contamination of the Amazon river 🇧🇷 for #PalmOil #agriculture ☠️ Use your wallet as a weapon and #BoycottGold 🥇🚫 #BoycottPalmOil 🌴🚫 #Boycott4Wildlife @[email protected] palmoildetectives.com/2025/11/23/t...

Tucuxi Sotalia fluviatilis Pal...

Clever and joyful #Tucuxi are #dolphins 🐬💙 endangered by #hunting #gold #mining and contamination of the Amazon river 🇧🇷 for #PalmOil #agriculture ☠️ Use your wallet as a weapon and #BoycottGold 🥇🚫 #BoycottPalmOil 🌴🚫 #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetectives https://palmoildetectives.com/2025/11/23/tucuxi-sotalia-fluviatilis/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer

The Wooly #Tapir AKA Mountain Tapir gives birth to one calf at a time 🩷😻 They’re #endangered due to a many threats: #climatechange and #pollution from #gold mining. Resist for them! #BoycottPalmOil #BoycottGold 🥇☠️❌ #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetectives https://palmoildetectives.com/2025/12/28/mountain-tapir-tapirus-pinchaque/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer

Colourful tree-dwellers Channel-billed Toucans are #Amazon #icons in #Brazil 🇧🇷#Venezuela 🇻🇪 #Colombia 🇨🇴 Threats include #PalmOil 🌴🔥#Soy #Meat 🥩🔥and #GoldMining 🥇🔥 Help them survive when you #BoycottPalmOil 🌴☠️🧐⛔️ #BoycottGold #Boycott4Wildlife https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/08/02/channel-billed-toucan-ramphastos-vitellinus/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer

Extensive logging for #palmoil and #gold #mining in #NewBritain in #PapuaNewGuinea 🇵🇬 has made the delightful Blue-eyed cockatoo #vulnerable 😿 Help them to survive when you #BoycottPalmOil 🌴🤮💀🚫 #BoycottGold 🥇🚫 #Boycott4Wildlife @[email protected]
youtu.be/E1GdKAu1CY8

Blue eyed Cockatoo Cacatua oph...

Extensive logging for #palmoil and #gold #mining in #NewBritain in #PapuaNewGuinea 🇵🇬 has made the delightful Blue-eyed cockatoo #vulnerable 😿 Help them to survive when you #BoycottPalmOil 🌴🤮💀🚫 #BoycottGold 🥇🚫 #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetectives https://wp.me/pcFhgU-tz?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer

#News: Report by Crisis Group finds cocaine, illegal #gold #palmoil and landgrabbing mafias control much of the #Amazon, killing #indigenous defenders while government enforcement lags behind. @palmoildetectives #BoycottGold #BoycottPalmOil #HumanRights
https://www.crisisgroup.org/es/rpt/latin-america-caribbean/amazon-brazil-colombia-peru/111-jungle-heist-shielding-amazon-organised-crime?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer

Maned Wolves are #SouthAmerica’s tallest canids with long slender legs to help them navigate grasslands. Now ‘Near Threatened’ by #palmoil #meat and #mining #deforestation, Fight for them and #Boycottpalmoil #BoycottGold #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetectives https://wp.me/pcFhgU-7Pv?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer

Red Howlers, characterful, cheeky red furry #monkeys of #Colombia 🐵🐒🙈🙉 they are under threat from #palmoil and #gold #deforestation 😿 fight for them and #Boycottpalmoil 🌴🔥⛔️ #BoycottGold 🥇🔥⛔️ #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetectives https://palmoildetectives.com/2024/02/25/colombian-red-howler-monkey-alouatta-seniculus/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer

Hidden in the dark lush depths of #Papuan #forests, Magnificent #birds of paradise live up to their names with males’ elaborate dancing like skilled ballerinas. Don’t let the forests go silent, #Boycottpalmoil #BoycottGold #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetectives https://palmoildetectives.com/2024/05/26/magnificent-bird-of-paradise-cicinnurus-magnificus/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer

#News: Nature's talented #engineers - #toucans are saving endangered #trees in #Brazil! 🦜🌳 #Extinct locally in the 60s, they were returned 50 years ago and are now vital seed dispersers. Protect wildlife = restore the forest! #BoycottGold #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect.bsky.social
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/03/toucans-reintroduced-50-years-ago-disperse-seeds-of-endangered-trees-in-brazil/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer

Extensive logging for #palmoil and #gold #mining in #NewBritain in #PapuaNewGuinea 🇵🇬 has made the delightful Blue-eyed cockatoo #vulnerable 😿 Help them to survive when you #BoycottPalmOil 🌴🤮💀🚫 #BoycottGold 🥇🚫 #Boycott4Wildlife @[email protected] youtu.be/E1GdKAu1CY8

Blue eyed Cockatoo Cacatua oph...

Extensive logging for #palmoil and #gold #mining in #NewBritain in #PapuaNewGuinea 🇵🇬 has made the delightful Blue-eyed cockatoo #vulnerable 😿 Help them to survive when you #BoycottPalmOil 🌴🤮💀🚫 #BoycottGold 🥇🚫 #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetectives https://wp.me/pcFhgU-tz?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer

Kaapori #capuchins of #Brazil are intelligent and resourceful using tools to get food 🧠🐵 #Corporate #greed for #meat #palmoil #gold are threats! Fight back for them, be #vegan, #BoycottGold #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetectives https://palmoildetectives.com/2022/10/09/kaapori-capuchin-cebus-kaapori/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer

Dazzling Harlequin Poisonous #Frogs 🐸💚 of #Colombia 🇨🇴 are sensitive to noise 🎶📢 Their rainbow colours 🌈 make them #rainforest works of art! ✨🎨Critically Endangered by #mining and #palmoil #BoycottGold 🥇🩸⛔️ #BoycottPalmOil 🌴☠️⛔️ @palmoildetectives https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/03/20/harlequin-poison-frog-oophaga-histrionica/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer

This #WorldJaguarDay, let's protect the mighty #Jaguar from #palmoil #gold and #meat deforestation. 🐆 These iconic predators 🩷 are losing their homes so #BoycottGold #Boycottpalmoil and #BoycottMeat help them! https://palmoildetectives.com/2022/08/28/jaguar-panthera-onca/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer Join the #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetectives

Pied #tamarins are unique matriarchal #monkeys of #Brazil, led by 1 female in small troops 🐒🩷 #Gold #palmoil #soy and #meat #deforestation are decimating them. Fight for them and #Boycottpalmoil 🌴🚫 #BoycottGold 🥇🚫#Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetectives https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/02/20/pied-tamarin-saguinus-bicolor/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer

Maned Wolves are #SouthAmerica’s tallest canids with long slender legs to help them navigate grasslands. Now ‘Near Threatened’ by #palmoil #meat and #mining #deforestation, Fight for them and #Boycottpalmoil #BoycottGold #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetectives https://wp.me/pcFhgU-7Pv?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer

🦜 Today is #WorldParrotDay! Parrots are vibrant and intelligent, but they're under threat. Let's protect their colourful lives. When we shop #BoycottPalmOil & #BoycottGold to help save their homes. 🌴🌿 #Boycott4Wildlife 🌎 @palmoildetectives https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/03/03/african-grey-parrots-help-each-other-in-times-of-need/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer

Extensive logging for #palmoil and #gold #mining in #NewBritain in #PapuaNewGuinea 🇵🇬 has made the delightful Blue-eyed cockatoo #vulnerable 😿 Help them to survive when you #BoycottPalmOil 🌴🤮💀🚫 #BoycottGold 🥇🚫 #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://wp.me/pcFhgU-tz?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer

Extensive logging for #palmoil and #gold #mining in #NewBritain in #PapuaNewGuinea 🇵🇬 has made the delightful Blue-eyed cockatoo #vulnerable 😿 Help them to survive when you #BoycottPalmOil 🌴🤮💀🚫 #BoycottGold 🥇🚫 #Boycott4Wildlife https://wp.me/pcFhgU-tz?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer

Mountain Tapir Tapirus pinchaque

Mountain Tapir Tapirus pinchaque

IUCN Red List Status: Endangered

Location: Colombia, Ecuador, northern Peru

Mountain Tapirs inhabit the high Andean cloud forests and páramos above 2,000 metres in the northern Andes. They are found in Colombia’s Central and Eastern Cordilleras, throughout Ecuador including Sangay and Podocarpus National Parks, and into northern Peru, notably in Cajamarca and Lambayeque.

The Mountain Tapir Tapirus pinchaque is one of the most threatened large mammals in the northern Andes, currently listed as Endangered. Their populations have declined by over 50% in the past three decades due to habitat loss, illegal hunting, climate change, and rampant mining. With fewer than 2,500 mature individuals remaining, they are quietly disappearing from their mist-shrouded mountain homes. Human encroachment, infrastructure development, and cattle grazing now invade their last strongholds. Without urgent action, they may vanish forever. Use your wallet as a weapon and fight back when you shop #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife and be #BoycottGold

https://youtu.be/2hqFZVgMZAA

Sweet-natured Mountain #Tapirs of #Ecuador 🇪🇨 #Peru 🇵🇪 and #Colombia 🇨🇴 face serious threats incl. illegal crops, #gold #mining, #palmoil #deforestation and hunting. Help them survive #BoycottPalmOil 🌴⛔️#BoycottGold 🥇⛔️ #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2025/12/28/mountain-tapir-tapirus-pinchaque/

The Wooly #Tapir AKA Mountain Tapir gives birth to one calf at a time 🩷😻 They’re #endangered due to a many threats: #climatechange and #pollution from #gold mining. Resist for them! #BoycottPalmOil #BoycottGold 🥇☠️❌ #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2025/12/28/mountain-tapir-tapirus-pinchaque/

Appearance & Behaviour

Also known as the woolly tapir for their thick, dark, shaggy coat, Mountain Tapirs are built to survive in the cold, damp cloud forests and páramo grasslands. Their dense fur, white lips, and prehensile snout give them an almost prehistoric appearance. These solitary and elusive mammals are primarily nocturnal and crepuscular, navigating dense foliage with ease. Once thought to be loners, long-term studies in Ecuador have revealed that they form small, close-knit family groups, with calves gradually dispersing over several years (Castellanos et al., 2022).

Threats

Deforestation for palm oil, meat agriculture and illicit opium/coca cultivation

Large swathes of Andean cloud forest and páramo are being cleared to make way for palm oil agricultural expansion, cattle grazing, and opium or coca cultivation. These activities are not only destroying core habitat but also breaking up previously connected populations, leaving tapirs isolated and vulnerable to local extinctions. The introduction of cattle into remote tapir refuges has become increasingly common, even inside designated national parks such as Sangay in Ecuador. This leads to trampling of sensitive vegetation, direct competition for food, and destruction of the unique montane ecosystems that Mountain Tapirs rely on for survival.

Illegal hunting for meat, traditional medicine, and cultural uses

Although hunting pressure has declined slightly in Ecuador due to greater public awareness, it remains severe in Colombia and Peru. Tapirs are killed for their meat, and their skins are used to make traditional tools, horse gear, carpets, and bed covers. Additionally, body parts are sold in local markets or prescribed by shamans for use in traditional medicine. In many remote areas, Mountain Tapirs are still being actively poached, and it is now rare to find populations that are not affected by some form of overhunting.

Gold mining and illegal mining causing deforestation and poisoning of ecosystems

Gold mining projects in the northern Peruvian Andes and central Colombia are rapidly destroying the last cloud forest headwaters and páramo ecosystems where tapirs persist. Both legal and illegal mining operations contaminate streams and watersheds with heavy metals and toxic runoff, which has severe consequences for both tapirs and the human communities downstream. Mining also brings roads, noise, and human settlements into previously inaccessible areas, increasing hunting pressure and reducing available habitat. In some parts of Peru, nearly 30% of the Mountain Tapir’s current range now overlaps with active or planned gold mining concessions (More et al., 2022).

Climate change pushing tapirs further uphill into shrinking habitat

As global temperatures rise, the high-elevation ecosystems where Mountain Tapirs live are shrinking. Suitable climate zones are shifting higher up the mountains, but because mountains have limited space at the top, this forces tapirs into ever smaller areas with fewer food resources. This phenomenon, known as “the escalator to extinction,” is especially dangerous for highland species like the Mountain Tapir, who cannot move downward into warmer zones. Climate change also alters rainfall patterns and vegetation cycles, further straining the species’ delicate habitat requirements.

Road construction and vehicle collisions within protected areas

Infrastructure development is rapidly cutting through mountainous areas, including roads that bisect national parks and reserves. This not only fragments tapir habitat but also leads to direct deaths through vehicle collisions. Once roads are completed, traffic speeds increase and tapirs crossing roads—especially at dawn and dusk—become highly vulnerable. Roads also make previously remote areas more accessible to poachers, settlers, and resource extractors, while local governments often lack sufficient ranger staff to monitor and protect these newly exposed areas.

Fumigation campaigns using toxic chemicals to eradicate drug crops

In Colombia, the government authorises aerial fumigation of coca and poppy fields using glyphosate-based herbicides like Round-Up. These chemicals are sprayed over wide areas, including forests and National Parks, contaminating soil, plants, and water sources. Mountain Tapirs can absorb these toxins through skin contact or ingestion, potentially leading to illness, reproductive failure, or death. Fumigation also destroys native plants that tapirs rely on for food, further decreasing habitat quality in affected areas.

Widespread introduction of cattle and the threat of disease transmission

Domestic cattle are increasingly being introduced into mountain tapir habitat, especially within protected areas where enforcement is weak. These animals not only compete with tapirs for forage but also carry diseases such as bovine tuberculosis and foot-and-mouth disease. Disease outbreaks have already been documented among tapirs in other parts of Latin America and pose a serious threat to small, isolated populations. In the Andes, cattle often form feral herds that reproduce and spread deep into cloud forests, further eroding habitat integrity and increasing the risk of tapir extinction.

Weak enforcement of environmental laws and lack of large protected areas in Peru

Although some Mountain Tapir habitat falls within designated protected areas, law enforcement in Peru is generally under-resourced and poorly coordinated. Rangers are too few to patrol vast mountainous regions effectively, and illegal activities such as mining, logging, and hunting continue within protected boundaries. Furthermore, most reserves are too small or fragmented to support viable tapir populations over the long term. Without stronger policies, larger protected zones, and meaningful binational cooperation with Ecuador and Colombia, tapirs in Peru face an uncertain future.

Low reproductive rate and slow population recovery

Mountain Tapirs have a long gestation period of around 13 months and typically produce only one calf at a time, meaning population growth is inherently slow. When combined with high mortality from hunting, roadkill, and disease, their populations cannot recover quickly from losses. Calves stay with their mothers for extended periods, further limiting reproductive output. This slow life cycle makes the species particularly vulnerable to sudden or sustained threats across their fragmented range.

Geographic Range

This species is found in the high Andes of Colombia, Ecuador, and northernmost Peru. In Colombia, they are present in the Central and Eastern Cordilleras but are absent from the Western Cordillera and Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. In Ecuador, they range from the central Andes down through Sangay National Park to Podocarpus, with new records emerging from previously unconnected areas in the western Andes. In Peru, they occur north and south of the Huancabamba River in Cajamarca and Lambayeque (More et al., 2022). The total range in Peru is estimated at 183,000 hectares, but mining concessions cover nearly 30% of this habitat.

Diet

Mountain Tapirs are browsers, feeding on a wide variety of vegetation including leaves, shoots, fruits, and bromeliads. Their diet varies depending on the availability of plants within their high-altitude habitats, playing an important role as seed dispersers within these fragile ecosystems.

Mating and Reproduction

Mountain Tapirs have a slow reproductive rate, with a gestation period of approximately 13 months. Females typically give birth to a single calf, which stays with them for several months or even years before dispersing. Calves are born with white stripes and spots that fade as they mature. Their slow breeding cycle makes it difficult for populations to recover from hunting and habitat loss.

FAQs

How many Mountain Tapirs are left in the wild?

Fewer than 2,500 mature individuals remain in the wild, and the population is continuing to decline by at least 20% every two decades due to ongoing threats like habitat destruction, hunting, and climate change (IUCN, 2015).

What is the average lifespan of a Mountain Tapir?

In the wild, Mountain Tapirs may live up to 25 years, though this is significantly affected by environmental threats. Captive individuals can live slightly longer under safe and controlled conditions.

What are the biggest challenges to conserving Mountain Tapirs?

Major challenges include habitat fragmentation due to road construction, agriculture, and mining; the presence of armed conflict zones that hinder research and protection; and the slow reproduction rate of the species, which makes population recovery difficult (Guzmán-Valencia et al., 2024; More et al., 2022).

Do Mountain Tapirs make good pets?

No. Keeping a Mountain Tapir as a pet is unethical and illegal. These intelligent, solitary animals require large, wild habitats to survive. Capturing and trading them causes immense suffering and drives the species further toward extinction. Advocating against the exotic pet trade is vital to their survival.

Take Action!

Boycott palm oil and products linked to Andean deforestation. Support indigenous-led conservation and agroecology initiatives in the Andes. Call for stronger protections against mining and deforestation in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. Refuse to buy exotic animal products, including those used in folk medicine. #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife #Vegan #BoycottMeat

Support Mountain Tapirs by going vegan and boycotting palm oil in the supermarket, it’s the #Boycott4Wildlife

Support the conservation of this species

This animal has no protections in place. Read about other forgotten species here. Create art to support this forgotten animal or raise awareness about them by sharing this post and using the #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife hashtags on social media. Also you can boycott palm oil in the supermarket.

Further Information

Castellanos, A., Dadone, L., Ascanta, M., & Pukazhenthi, B. (2022). Andean tapir (Tapirus pinchaque) social groups and calf dispersal patterns in Ecuador. Boletín Técnico, Serie Zoológica, 17, 9–14. Retrieved from https://journal.espe.edu.ec/ojs/index.php/revista-serie-zoologica/article/view/2858

Delborgo Abra, F., Medici, P., Brenes-Mora, E., & Castelhanos, A. (2024). The Impact of Roads and Traffic on Tapir Species. In Tapirs of the World (pp. 157–165). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-65311-7_10

Guzmán-Valencia, C., Castrillón, L., Roncancio Duque, N., & Márquez, R. (2024). Co-Occurrence, Occupancy and Habitat Use of the Andean Bear and Mountain Tapir: Insights for Conservation Management in the Colombian Andes. SSRN. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5061561

Lizcano, D.J., Amanzo, J., Castellanos, A., Tapia, A. & Lopez-Malaga, C.M. 2016. Tapirus pinchaque. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T21473A45173922. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T21473A45173922.en. Accessed on 06 April 2025.

More, A., Devenish, C., Carrillo-Tavara, K., Piana, R. P., Lopez-Malaga, C., Vega-Guarderas, Z., & Nuñez-Cortez, E. (2022). Distribution and conservation status of the mountain tapir (Tapirus pinchaque) in Peru. Journal for Nature Conservation, 66, 126130. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnc.2022.126130

How can I help the #Boycott4Wildlife?

Take Action in Five Ways

1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.

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2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.

Wildlife Artist Juanchi Pérez

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Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings

Read more

Anthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao

Read more

Health Physician Dr Evan Allen

Read more

The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert

Read more

How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy

Read more

3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.

https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20

https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20

https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20

4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.

5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here

Learn about other animals endangered by palm oil and other agriculture

Saola Pseudoryx nghetinhensis

Keep reading

Tucuxi Sotalia fluviatilis

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Frill-Necked Lizard Chlamydosaurus kingii

Keep reading

Grey Crowned Crane Balearica regulorum

Keep reading

Ecuadorean Viscacha Lagidium ahuacaense

Keep reading

Southern Pudu Pudu puda

Keep reading

Learn about “sustainable” palm oil greenwashing

Read more about RSPO greenwashing

A 2019 World Health Organisation (WHO) report into the palm oil industry and RSPO finds extensive greenwashing of palm oil deforestation and the murder of endangered animals (i.e. biodiversity loss)

#animals #Bantrophyhunting #Boycott4wildlife #BoycottGold #BoycottMeat #BoycottPalmOil #cattle #climateChange #climatechange #Colombia #deforestation #Ecuador #endangered #EndangeredSpecies #ForgottenAnimals #gold #herbivore #herbivores #hunting #infrastructure #lowlandTapir #Mammal #mammals #mining #PalmOil #palmOilDeforestation #palmoil #Peru #poaching #pollution #Tapir #Tapirs #ungulate #ungulates #vegan

Brazilian three-banded armadillo Tolypeutes tricinctus

Brazilian three-banded armadillo Tolypeutes tricinctus

Vulnerable

Extant (resident): Brazil: Minas Gerais, Bahia, Alagoas, Sergipe, Pernambuco, Rio Grande do Norte, Goiás, Tocantins, Piauí, Paraíba, Ceará, Maranhão.

The Brazilian three-banded #armadillo Tolypeutes tricinctus, known as “tatu-bola” in Portuguese, is a rare and unique species native to #Brazil. With the ability to roll into a near-impenetrable ball, this endearing behaviour has made them an icon of conservation efforts. They are found in the dry forests and savannahs of Brazil, particularly in the #Cerrado and Caatinga biomes. These fascinating armoured creatures are Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List due to agricultural expansion for #palmoil, #soy and #meat. Fragmentation of their ecosystem is ongoing for infrastructure projects and #goldmining. With their population in sharp decline, efforts to protect their habitats are essential for their survival. Help them every time you shop and adopt a #vegan diet, and #BoycottPalmOil #BoycottGold #Boycott4Wildlife on social media!

https://youtu.be/pVG-7CyjLmo

Resilient Brazilian three-banded #armadillos are fascinating real-life #pokemon of #SouthAmerica. They’re vulnerable from #palmoil meat and soy #deforestation in #Brazil. Resist their #extinction! Be #vegan #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://wp.me/pcFhgU-8R9

Brazilian three-banded #armadillos are the adorable armoured tanks of #Brazil’s #Cerrado who can curl into an armoured ball. They are #vulnerable from #deforestation. Help them survive by being #vegan and #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://wp.me/pcFhgU-8R9

Appearance & Behaviour

• The word “armadillo” means “little armoured one” in Spanish.
• They are known as ‘kwaráu’ in the now extinct Huamoé language and ˈkʌ̨́ñíkį̀ in the Kambiwá language of Brazil.
• Brazilian three-banded armadillos have a good nose and can smell termites and ants through up to 20 cm of soil.
• Their loose armour creates a layer of air, helping them to regulate their temperature in harsh climates.
• They are one of only two armadillo species that can roll into a tight ball.

Brazilian three-banded armadillos are easily recognised by their distinctive armour, which is composed of bony plates known as scutes. These scutes, covered in keratinised skin, form a protective shell around the animal’s body, allowing them to roll into a tight ball when threatened. This unique defence mechanism makes them virtually immune to most natural predators in the wild – except for humans. Their compact body length of 22 to 27 cm and a weight of about 1 to 1.6 kg makes it easy for them to navigate in the forest.

Their distinctive sharp claws and elongated snouts are perfectly adapted for foraging for ants and termites. Although primarily solitary, they sometimes travel in small family groups. They keep their noses to the ground sniffing out insects and move in a deliberate cautious way. Unlike other burrowing armadillos they prefer to hide in bushes for shelter and camouflage.

Threats

Deforestation for palm oil, soy and meat agriculture

Forest and grassland destruction for soy, palm oil, sugar cane and meat plantations is a serious threat. This has drastically reduced the Brazilian three-banded armadillo’s range in the Cerrado and Caatinga biomes.

Human encroachment for infrastructure projects

The Brazilian three-banded armadillo is impervious to many natural threats in their environment. However, infrastructure projects, roads, housing have become a significant threat to their survival.

Illegal hunting

Brazilian three-banded armadillos are hunted for their skins and meat.

Conservation

Conservation efforts for the Brazilian three-banded armadillo are indirect and focused on habitat protection rather than direct intervention. Protected areas within the Cerrado and Caatinga offer some refuge for the species. Yet large portions of their habitat remains at risk for deforestation.

Habitat

Resilient and tough, this armadillo has adapted over millions of years to thrive in harsh landscapes of poor rainfall and poor soil. Brazilian three-banded armadillos are found primarily in the northeastern regions of Brazil, inhabiting the open savannahs of the Cerrado and the dry woodlands of the Caatinga.

Diet

Brazilian three-banded armadillos are primarily insectivores, relying heavily on ants and termites as their main food source. Sharp claws allow them to dig into insect nests, and they use their long, sticky tongues to collect the prey. Occasionally they supplement their diet with molluscs, worms, fruit, and carrion.

Mating and breeding

The breeding season occurs between October and January. After a gestation period of approximately 120 days, females give birth to a single pup. Newborns are born blind, and their armour remains soft and pliable in the first weeks of life. A young armadillo’s shell hardens by week four. By this time they will be capable of protective rolling into a ball and walking. They are weaned by 10 weeks of age and reach reproductive maturity between 9 and 12 months.

Support Brazilian Three-Banded Armadillos by going vegan and boycotting palm oil in the supermarket, it’s the #Boycott4Wildlife

Support the conservation of this species

This animal has no protections in place. Read about other forgotten species here. Create art to support this forgotten animal or raise awareness about them by sharing this post and using the #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife hashtags on social media. Also you can boycott palm oil in the supermarket.

Further Information

Miranda, F., Moraes-Barros, N., Superina, M., & Abba, A. M. (2014). Tolypeutes tricinctus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2014: e.T21975A47443455. https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2014-1.RLTS.T21975A47443455.en

Wikipedia Contributors. (n.d.). Brazilian three-banded armadillo. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved September 16, 2024, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazilian_three-banded_armadillo

Animalia. (n.d.). Brazilian Three-Banded Armadillo. Retrieved from https://animalia.bio/brazilian-three-banded-armadillo

How can I help the #Boycott4Wildlife?

Take Action in Five Ways

1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.

• Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram
• WordPress
• YouTube
• Mail
• Mastodon

Enter your email address

Sign Up

2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.

Wildlife Artist Juanchi Pérez

Read more

Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings

Read more

Anthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao

Read more

Health Physician Dr Evan Allen

Read more

The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert

Read more

How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy

Read more

3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.

https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20

https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20

https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20

4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.

5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here

Learn about other animals endangered by palm oil and other agriculture

Brazilian three-banded armadillo Tolypeutes tricinctus

Keep reading

Sumatran Tiger Panthera tigris sondaica

Keep reading

Bateleur Eagle Terathopius ecaudatus

Keep reading

Borneo Forest Dragon Gonocephalus bornensis

Keep reading

Orange-breasted Falcon Falco deiroleucus

Keep reading

Sunda Clouded Leopard Neofelis diardi 

Keep reading

Learn about “sustainable” palm oil greenwashing

Read more about RSPO greenwashing

A 2019 World Health Organisation (WHO) report into the palm oil industry and RSPO finds extensive greenwashing of palm oil deforestation and the murder of endangered animals (i.e. biodiversity loss)

#animals #armadillo #armadillos #Bantrophyhunting #Boycott4wildlife #BoycottGold #BoycottPalmOil #Brazil #BrazilianThreeBandedArmadilloTolypeutesTricinctus #Cerrado #deforestation #extinction #ForgottenAnimals #goldMining #goldmining #hunting #meat #meatAgriculture #meatAndSoyDeforestationInBrazil #meatDeforestation_ #PalmOil #palmOilDeforestation #palmoil #poachers #poaching #pokemon #SouthAmericaSpeciesEndangeredByPalmOilDeforestation #SouthAmerica #soy #soyDeforestation #vegan #vulnerable #VulnerableSpecies