Mountain tapir skull photos in our web album

In the 1960s or around 1970, I acquired this mountain tapir skull from Ecuador. You can see additonal photos and angles, and learn where it came from and why it has green and orange paint in it. You can find the photos in our Mountain Tapir Natural History Web Album. As I go through photos and info from my tapir files, I'll be making a lot more tapir material available for public use.

Tapir Web cam . . . you have to see this!

Check it out. Sarah Tegan posted on the Tapirs Google Group earlier today. I don't know how to bookmark it, but I've got it minimized on my desktop :)

Hello,

I'm not sure if you've seen this tapir webcam, at Noah's Ark Farm zoo in Bristol. Most entertaining!

http://stream11.finetra.co.uk/noahsark

Sarah-Tegan. xx

Baird's tapir tapers (candlesticks)

I've uploaded several new images of Baird's tapir art and craft and have captioned the album. You can see them by following the link above. I'm in the process of going through the files on my hard drive, so I hope to have more "soon" on an ongoing basis until I finish! Then I'll get to the paper files and photos on slides. . . .

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I'm continuing to update the web albums. Here are a couple of the new tapirs since the earlier part of this post. You can find the links to all of the ART AND CRAFT tapir web albums below the images. The albums are not completely labelled, but that will come. I'm not trying to leave out any of the people who sent me things to put online!

Lowland tapirs in balata rubber from Guyana

Baby mountain tapir in balsa wood from Ecuador

Album art and craft links:

Lowland Tapir Art and Craft Album
Mountain Tapir Art and Craft Album
Baird's Tapir Art and Craft Album
Malayan Tapir Art and Craft Album
Mixed and Generic Tapir Art and Craft Album

Silvia Chalukian wins Club Tapir vote for October 2008

Dear Tapir Fans and Friends,

You can read more about Silvia's project in Argentina and vote for November's Club Tapir project on our Club Tapir page.

Visit the Proyeco Tapir site here. It's in several languages, including English. I love the animated intro!

Sheryl

A photo of April the Tapir in the mud

Tapir photo Copyright 2008 Douglas W. Reynolds, Jr.

This photo of April the tapir at the Belize Zoo was sent to us by Douglas Reynolds to share with tapir fans and help raise awareness about tapirs. You can see more tapir photos on The Tapir Gallery web site and learn about their endangered status and what can be done. Thanks for visiting! Remember, all tapirs are endangered! You've got some nice footprints, there, April! This photo was taken January 8, 2008.

Gray Fossil (Tapir) Site has a new web address

I've just had word from Martin Kohl, who discovered the first fossil bone at what is now known as the Gray Fossil Site in Tennessee, that his site's URL has changed. Please check out the new location: http://Graysite1.net/. There are pictures of fossil tapir skulls and excellent clear photos of the teeth, renderings of just how that many tapirs could have been caught in one pit, and other interesting scientific material on the site. The picture above is borrowed from the site with thanks. It shows the place that would become such a tremendous educational center on the day of the first fossil discovery. Martin Kohl's web site also gives a history of the dig and how it all got started. Many important discoveries have come from the Gray site including red pandas, turtles, and beautiful fossil plants.

Photo of a tapir at Linton Zoo, UK

Hi Everyone,

Charmain Felts sent this photo of one of the lowland tapirs at Linton Zoo. She wrote:

Sending you a picture I took at Linton Zoo in Cambridgeshire, UK. This is by far the best enclosure I have seen Tapirs in. I highly recommend a visit if you are in the area . . . the Tapirs are called Shannon and Tanya, and have been at Linton zoo since 1990. The zoo's web site is www.lintonzoo.com.

Kind regards,

Charmain from Bedfordshire

Charming resin mountain tapirs

Mamadanta and her baby, Tapircito, were made in Colombia by Sergio Sandoval. You can get them both in TPF's gift shop, but mama isn't set up for online ordering yet. Please see this blog post for ordering details. Thanks!

Non-tapir crafts that help us fund tapir conservation

What's this? A photo with no tapir in it? Find out why. I've written quite a long post about our online gift shops (original and new), their purpose, directions, and a little history on the Google group: Tapirs.

Club Tapir for September and October and a bit about albino tapirs

Above: A Baird's tapir is taking a mud bath in Nuevo Becal, Campeche, Mexico. You can read more about Georgina O'Farrill's tapir project here. The white spot on the head appears to me to be similar to some other Baird's tapirs from Mexico that apparently had genetically-transmitted partial albinism. See photos here, here, and here (note the nose of this baby in the second photo!).

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Dear Tapir Fans and Friends,

Thank you, thank you for your support of Club Tapir in September! I know it's much more difficult in this economy, and the projects are that much more in need of funding, and that much more appreciative of the funding that comes in.

OUR WINNER FOR SEPTEMBER is Georgina O'Farrill of Mexico. You supported her work for $250.00 in September. Thank you!

VOTING FOR OCTOBER'S PROJECTS is now online and ready to go:

http://www.tapirback.com/tapirgal/club-tapir/

I'm going to be away for a couple of weeks, but Sue is here to take your votes and answer any questions at the e-mail link on the Tapir Gallery as usual.

http://www.tapirback.com/tapirgal/

When I get back, we have two main thrusts for fundraising besides Club Tapir. As the Christmas season is coming soon, our gift shop will keep us busy and most of our available time and effort will be directed there. The gift shop is our main source for funding tapir work, and this is the time of year we need to maximize what it can do for us.

http://www.tapirback.com/tapirgal/gifts/friends/

In addition, I will be looking at putting more material online for our supported tapir projects, including blogs, etc. We all need to get creative in today's economy, and we'll be working with the project Principals to do just that!

Thanks for your ideas and support.

All the best,

Sheryl

Tapirs at the Georgetown Zoo, Guyana

The photos in this blog post are old ones. We're expecting updates soon. Keep on reading. . . .

On Sunday, September 21, 2008, I received e-mail wth the subject line: "Tapirs at Georgetown Zoo." Wow, did THAT bring back memories! Here is the reaffirming letter from Julia and Patrick Petipas that accompanied the subject:

Hi,

We used to be members of the original tapir club years ago, and have retained our interest in tapirs. Last week we unexpectedly saw the fruits of a Tapir Preservation Fund project.

Patrick's a pilot and now works a Georgetown, Guyana route pretty regularly. I went along with him last time. Late one afternoon we ourselves with some free time and all the tourist attractions we knew of closed for the day; a taxi driver suggested we visit the zoo. We were hesitant, since too many zoos, especially in poorer countries, are sad and depressing. But he insisted it was nice, and that the park where it was located was worth a look even if we didn't like the zoo.

It was a little depressing, but it seemed evident that zookeepers cared and were trying to do right with what they had. We also saw a tapir area, but no tapirs.

As we were heading for the exit, close to the sunset closing time, we saw that the tapirs had emerged so we went to see them. And to our surprise, they approached, snouts sniffing at us curiously. The female seemed to be particularly interested in me, and especially friendly staying near us for as long as we stood there and following to the edge of their enclosed area when we had to leave. They both seemed to be healthy and well cared-for. As we were leaving, we noticed a sign on the roof over their pool that said funding had been provided by the Tapir Preservation Fund and asked ourselves if this was the same organization, and if it was still in existence.

I'm very glad to see that it is, and that the Georgetown Zoo project, apparently one of the first projects funded ten years ago, is still helping out tapirs! I think we'll be rejoining Club Tapir.

Julia & Patrick

The Georgetown tapirs were, indeed, one of Club Tapir's first projects. My initial thought had been to help provide funding for projects working with wild tapir conservation, when I was contacted by Karl Kranz, then Senior Vice-President of Animal Affairs for the Philadelphia Zoo, asking if we'd take on a special-needs zoo project. It was gratifying to be able to help, and the voters liked being able to see the tapirs that would benefit from their donations. In October 1998, the Georgetown Zoo tapirs won their first vote (and dollar award) on Club Tapir as a project in need of funding. The zoo staff was caring, but there was no money for badly-needed improvements. I'd been contacted by Karl Kranz about helping via Club Tapir, and the Club Tapir voters were enthusiastic. By July 1999, we had pitched in to raise $1,465.00 for the project. ZCOG nearly matched the sum under the directorship of Dan Hilliard, and Donna Shepherd supplied us with photos, some of which are below. You can read more about it in this issue of TPF News, SEE PHOTOS OF SOME OF THE IMPROVEMENTS, and get a glimpse of what it's like to move 400-pound tapirs without a crane!

During their visit in 2008, Julia and Patrick were so enamored of the tapirs' friendliness and interest in humans, they simply related to them and didn't think of taking photos. Julia says Patrick is going back soon and will be sure to bring the camera. As a comparison, I'm posting a few photos below of the old zoo in the late 1990s. You can see that the area is lush and green the way tapirs like it. The staff is caring and affectionate towards the tapirs, but the structures are old and in need of repair. These pictures were taken in 1999. Julia and Patrick will be sending updated ones very soon and I'll post them for you.

Georgetown Zoo, Guyana, 1999

Georgetown Zoo, Guyana, 1999. Outdoors, the tapirs had no shade during the middle of the day.

Georgetown Zoo, Guyana, 1999

Polishing a palo de sangre wood tapir

What a nice tapir, too! I found this photo online. It shows how the artisans make the wood so shiny.

http://picasaweb.google.com/AlexisDiazRomero/AmazonasLeticiaTabatingaEIquitos2#5111295400499397682'

We're looking forward to a new shipment of our own soon. You never know what will turn up. It would be something to find a tapir as realistic as this one!

~ Sheryl

Tapirs and Florida's vanishing wildlife

What's the connection between tapirs and Florida's vanishing wildlife? Check out this page on the "Endangered Wildlife" web site, then venture further into the site. It's nicely designed and has good info for all of us!

Club Tapir page ready for September's donations

Hi All,

The new page is up. A few changes have been made, and you can see and vote for the current projects via this link. The tapir projects represent long hours of ongoing work - every day, every week, every year. It's so gratifying to see that, whereas a number of years ago tapir work was sporadic and the projects were short, the tapir world now has a number of quality projects that have a longevity of production stretching for years, not months. These projects, like the new ones, need ongoing support. You can read about and help to support one of four tapir conservation and research projects here:

http://www.tapirback.com/tapirgal/club-tapir/

I wish I could show you more of the actual work that's being done in the field. It's been a goal of the Tapir Preservation Fund to make more of the material available. It is labor-intensive to get the work from the field onto a web site, and I simply haven't had as much time as I'd like to devote to this area. (Volunteers are welcome!) More and more projects are developing their own sites, and we've linked to the ones we know about. It's a lot of work for anyone involved - the research and conservation aspect, and then the proposals and marketing on top of that. There is always so much more going on behind the scenes than can be presented. If you're interested in a particular project, the Principal Investigator (PI) will probably have proposals or material you can read. Just ask and we'll help you contact them. You can also read about ongoing tapir projects on the IUCN/SSC Tapir Specialist Group web site. Thanks so much for your support and interest!

Carved wood baby tapir available!

Dear Tapir Fans and Friends,

One more carved wood baby tapir is available in our gift shop. The tapir was carved by tapir scientist and artist Sergio Sandoval of Colombia. You can check out the details while the tapir is still available on our new gift shop web site. The carved tapir will someday have a new home, but we'll leave his or her picture on the blog "forever"!

One of my all-time favorite pieces of tapir art

I was cleaning up the hard drive and looking for mis-filed things (most likely not mis-filed, but filed with a logic that made sense at one time). Anyway, I came across these photos again and will re-file them with a logic that hopefully will prove longer-lasting! This ceramic lowland tapir, about 9 1/2 inches long and 4 3/4 inches tall, was made by Sergio Sandoval of Colombia. We got about seven of them from him one year and promptly sold them on eBay and our online tapir store. (I saved one for myself.) The detail and charming appearance of this piece makes it extra special to me. The eye is finished in a high gloss, while the rest of the body is matte. I wanted to put these photos online for all to enjoy. I'm still working with Sergio to import more of the items he either makes or purchases from indigenous people in Colombia. It's a fun project for me and brings interesting things into our two stores - the original Tapir and Friends, and the new one.

I had planned to put discontinued tapir items online in a special gallery, but that's been slow going, as other projects take precedence. However, I'll make an effort to get more of them on the blog. We actually do have a tapir Art and Craft Museum in five parts, one for each species and one "generic and unknown." Possibly they should all be linked from one page, but you can get to them all from here.

Thanks for thinking of us!

On Friday we received a surprise check for $100.00 and a wonderful letter:

Greetings,

My travelling companion and I were strolling the river walk back in April of this year, having come to town on a cruise ship. We were thrilled to find your store! Who'd have thought, a preservation organization up in chilly Astoria focused on preserving a tropical species.

By the way, the adorable Coati Mundi that I purchased that day sits atop my computer monitor at this very moment.

I've had a soft spot in my heart for Tapirs ever since encountering an Asian tapir at the Stone Zoo in Massachusetts as a child. Enclosed is a small donation for your general fund.

Sincerely,

Eugene in Oakland

Baird's tapir born at Summit Zoo, Panama, July 5, 2008

On July 14, 2008, friend and tapir fan, Alex Cardenas, sent this clipping from his trip home to Panama. He wrote: "While in Panama, I saw this article in a local newspaper, about a baby tapir "BAYANO," born in Panama's Summit Zoo on 5 July. . . . "Bayano" is also the name of a large river in Panama, and it was the name of a black slave who escaped from the Spaniards in Panama and led a revolt against them back in Colonial times."

Welcome, Bayano, and thanks so much for sending this, Alex! I enjoyed learning the historical background of the name, too.

Click on the article for a bigger image.

~ Sheryl

More visibility for tapirs! Thank you!

Pamela wrote to us on August 5, 2008:

Thanks for offering and shipping the wonderful new stuffed tapir. My son used his birthday money (which arrived right at the time you began taking pre-orders) to buy it and he is entirely satisfied -- thrilled would be more accurate. Even though he is 15, he has been taking it around the house with him and letting it perch on his shoulder; he really likes the wired legs which make the tapir posable. Here he is "modeling" Yanisa, while wearing the tapir shirt he got LAST year for his birthday. August loves doing his part to make tapirs more visible!

Unique carved wood tapir from Colombia

UPDATE: There were no bids on our auction, but you can now purchase the tapir online from our new web site. Check out the tapir and other interesting palo de sangre wood carvings from Colombia!

Original post:

Dear Tapir Fans and Friends,

This charming tapir was among the items we recently purchased from Colombia. Hand carved of palo de sangre wood (bloodwood) it is definitely one of a kind. There were two carved tapirs in the current shipment, and the second was of a completely different shape - it also had a broken foot, which is one of the hazards of importing crafts. I have never seen another palo de sangre tapir that looks like this one. Every shipment is checked thoroughly for drugs by US customs when it comes into the country through Miami, but don't get me started on what they do to the objects and how they repack the boxes! Suffice it to say that many of the items are damaged. We are always thrilled when a beautiful piece such as this one comes to us completely unharmed.

THE TAPIR: This lowland tapir was carved by an artisan who lives in the lower elevations of Colombia near the Amazon basin. It measures 6 inches (15 cm) long and stands 2 1/2 inches (6.5 cm) tall. See below for more information on this beautiful red wood.

THE AUCTION: August 15 to August 25, 2008

Submit your highest bid by e-mail or phone (503-325-3179 - Oregon, USA) along with your contact info: Name, location, e-mail address and phone number(s). We do not need payment info at this time. At midnight (Pacific Time, USA), we'll look at all bids. The winner will be the highest bidder, and the price will be $5.00 over the top price of the 2nd highest bidder. Bidding starts at $50.00.

Please be prepared to pay by credit card at the time you win the auction. If we already know you from previous purchases, we may accept a check or money order. If we cannot contact you within 3 days, we will offer the tapir to the next highest bidder. If you know you will be out of contact at the time the auction is over, please let us know and we'll keep the tapir for when you get back.

We'll ship anywhere in the world. Shipping will be $6.00 in the US for Priority mail, and $2.00 over the actual rate charged by the post office in other countries. This usually works out to about $10.00 to $12.00 US. If you want expedited shiping or special services, we can do that at the time of shipping.

THE WOOD:

Palo de sangre is the Spanish name for this rich red wood. The English translation is "bloodwood." It is the heartwood of the trees Brosimum paraense and Brosimum rubescens. The sapwood is yellowish-white. According to Wikipedia, "Palo de sangre has a fine texture and takes a high polish. The wood is very hard and has a tendency to blunt tools. The wood is used in decorative woodworking and woodturning . . . . The Nature Conservancy considers this tree to be "secure within its native range." Other sources give additional names: muirapiranga, satiné rubane, cacique, and cardinalwood (due to its red color). It keeps its color, and does not turn brown with age like some highly colored woods.

Palo de sangre is carved into wonderfully attractive and charming animal figures in Colombia and other regions of tropical America. The bright red color is a natural property of the wood, as is the highly finished shine on the surface (evidenced by the reflected light in the photo). These animals are not varnished, stained, or painted, but come to you in their spectacular natural finish. Fortunately, the artisans who carve them are not restricted by any means or conventions to a particular template, so you get the benefit of each individual's vision and creativity. The wood also varies somewhat from one carving to the next as far as natural color, grain, and markings. The motifs themselves are repeated (crocodiles and manatees are common; tapirs are less common), although availability depends on circumstances.