Fauna Survey

Luísa Genes, a PhD student from Stanford University in the USA, together with Ângelo Correia (Esalq/USP), expert in the identification of plants, seeds and fruits of the Atlantic Rainforest, study the diet of tapirs in support of the local reintroduction program for this species led by Refauna. Since the tapirs were released in REGUA, these researchers have been helping us to understand more about the Tapir diet as they transition into their new life in the reserve.

Today they walked the forest with REGUA’s ranger Rildo, documenting the seeds and fruits present at REGUA and cross-referencing their findings with analysis of the contents of samples of the local tapirs’ diet. A key objective is to ascertain what the released tapirs diet consists of and whether it changes across the seasons.