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PROJECTS
X RESEARCHERS
Javier
Adolfo Sarria-Perea
Health
status survey of wild populations of the Andean tapir (Tapirus
pinchaque) and the dwarf brocket (Mazama rufina) in the massif
of Mamapacha (Boyacá, Colombia)
By Javier Adolfo Sarria Perea DMV MSc and Diana S. F. Vargas
Munar MSc.
The Andean region,
which represents 25% of Colombian territory, holds diverse
ecosystems such as montane forest and paramo, where a significant
portion of Colombia’s biodiversity struggles to survive.
In this region, 70% of the Colombian population (near 25 million
people) has established urban and rural areas, where they
carry out activities that have caused the deterioration of
63% of the original ecosystems, putting the native species
at risk.
The Andean tapir (Tapirus pinchaque Roulin 1829) is the smallest
species of tapir that exists, is distinguished because of
its dark long coat, and white lips (Eisenberg 1999), weights
150 to 180 Kg, and inhabits the niches of montane forest and
paramo, in elevations between 2000 and 4500 m, in the Andes
of Peru, Ecuador and Colombia (Downer, 1997). The species
has been widely studied along its distribution, except in
the northern Eastern Colombian Cordillera, where its presence
must be confirmed (Montenegro, 2002). The Andean tapir is
considered endangered and near the extinction (EN) by the
IUCN (2003) and the Colombian Government (Rodriguez, 1998).
The red dwarf brocket (Mazama rufina Bourcier & Pucheran
1852), has about 450 mm at the shoulder, weights 8 to 9 Kg,
has a reddish brown coat, the males bear simple spike antlers,
and inhabits almost exclusively forested habitats of the Eastern
Andean Cordillera of Colombia and Venezuela (Eisenberg, 1989).
Although shares some similarities with Mazama nana Hensel
1872, from the Southern Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay, they
are different species (Duarte, 1998). M. rufina is classified
by the IUCN (2003) in low risk but near to be threaten if
pressure continues (LR/nt), and by the Colombian Government
as vulnerable (VU) (Rodriguez, 1998). Furthermore, its patterns
of habitat use, ecology, genetics and health status in Colombia
are unknown, for this reason basic research on the species
must be developed (Wemmer, 1998).
The aforementioned species were recently reported to be present
in the region of the Mamapacha massif, located in the north
of the Colombian Eastern Andean Cordillera. The Mamapacha
massif is one of the most representative fragments of montane
rain forest and paramo of the region, with a total area of
27,512 hectares distributed along the municipalities of Ramiriquí,
Chinavita, Garagoa, Miraflores and Zetaquira, in the department
of Boyacá. At the present, the massif is legally protected
by the Local Environmental Agency named CORPOCHIVOR, because
it supplies water for several municipalities, and also plays
a key role for the creation of future biological corridors
(CORPOCHIVOR. 1997). This region has been affected by the
cattle ranching for decades; and although this activity has
been reduced, considerable exploitations still persists in
areas near and in the periphery of the forest.
The livestock negatively affects wildlife populations, because
of the direct competition for resources, the alteration of
wildlife’ patterns of distribution and habitat use (Chalukian
2003), and the mutual transmission of diseases, some of zoonotic
character (Nettles, 1992; Frolich et al., 2002; Uhart et al.,
2003; Deem et al., 2004). Diseases of obligatory notification
to the OIE that may be affecting the local wildlife, such
as Vesicular Stomatitis and Brucellosis, has been reported
in Ramiriqui and Garagoa (Orjuela et al. 2003, Orjuela et
al. 2004). Furthermore, the habitat fragmentation produced
by the cattle ranching leads, in brockets, not only to the
lowering of genetic variability, but high chromosomal polymorphism,
which may affect the population fertility and put the species
at risk (Duarte, 1998). Perhaps because of its pervasiveness,
the negative impacts of livestock over wild ungulates populations
have received little scientific and public attention in Colombia.
The present project aims to evaluate the impact of cattle
ranching activity upon populations of Andean tapir and red
dwarf brocket of the Mamapacha massif, by means of the evaluation
of their health, genetic and ecologic status, through the
sampling and monitoring of some individuals of both indigenous
species, and further comparison with that of the livestock
in the area. The data obtained may help to establish a field
veterinary program for natural populations, and also may influence
conservation management policies, that will support long-term
wildlife protection.
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