TED Fellows 2015
Patrícia Medici: The coolest animal you know nothing about ... and how we can save it
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Although the tapir is one of the world's largest land mammals, the lives of these solitary, nocturnal creatures have remained a mystery. Known as "the living fossil," the very same tapir that roams the forests and grasslands of South America today arrived on the evolutionary scene more than 5 million years ago. But threats from poachers, deforestation and pollution, especially in quickly industrializing Brazil, threaten this longevity. In this insightful talk, conservation biologist, tapir expert and TED Fellow Patrícia Medici shares her work with these amazing animals and challenges us with a question: Do we want to be responsible for their extinction?
Patrícia Medici - Wildlife conservationist
Patrícia Medici leads the longest running conservation project to protect the threatened lowland tapir. Full bio
Patrícia Medici leads the longest running conservation project to protect the threatened lowland tapir. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:12
This is one of the most amazing animals
on the face of the Earth.
on the face of the Earth.
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This is a tapir.
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Now this, this is a baby tapir,
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the cutest animal offspring
in the animal kingdom.
in the animal kingdom.
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(Laughter)
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By far.
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There is no competition here.
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I have dedicated
the past 20 years of my life
the past 20 years of my life
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to the research and conservation
of tapirs in Brazil,
of tapirs in Brazil,
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and it has been absolutely amazing.
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But at the moment,
I've been thinking really, really hard
I've been thinking really, really hard
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about the impact of my work.
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I've been questioning myself
about the real contributions I have made
about the real contributions I have made
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for the conservation
of these animals I love so much.
of these animals I love so much.
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Am I being effective
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in safeguarding their survival?
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Am I doing enough?
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I guess the big question here is,
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am I studying tapirs
and contributing to their conservation,
and contributing to their conservation,
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or am I just documenting their extinction?
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The world is facing
so many different conservation crises.
so many different conservation crises.
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We all know that.
It's all over the news every day.
It's all over the news every day.
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Tropical forests and other ecosystems
are being destroyed,
are being destroyed,
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climate change, so many species
on the brink of extinction:
on the brink of extinction:
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tigers, lions, elephants, rhinos, tapirs.
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This is the lowland tapir,
the tapir species I work with,
the tapir species I work with,
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the largest terrestrial mammal
of South America.
of South America.
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They're massive. They're powerful.
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Adults can weigh up to 300 kilos.
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That's half the size of a horse.
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They're gorgeous.
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Tapirs are mostly found
in tropical forests such as the Amazon,
in tropical forests such as the Amazon,
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and they absolutely need
large patches of habitat
large patches of habitat
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in order to find all the resources
they need to reproduce and survive.
they need to reproduce and survive.
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But their habitat is being destroyed,
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and they have been hunted out of several
parts of their geographic distribution.
parts of their geographic distribution.
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And you see, this is
very, very unfortunate
very, very unfortunate
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because tapirs are extremely important
for the habitats where they are found.
for the habitats where they are found.
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They're herbivores.
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Fifty percent of their diet
consists of fruit,
consists of fruit,
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and when they eat the fruit,
they swallow the seeds,
they swallow the seeds,
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which they disperse throughout
the habitat through their feces.
the habitat through their feces.
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They play this major role
in shaping and maintaining
in shaping and maintaining
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the structure and diversity of the forest,
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and for that reason, tapirs are known
as gardeners of the forest.
as gardeners of the forest.
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Isn't that amazing?
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If you think about it,
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the extinction of tapirs
would seriously affect
would seriously affect
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biodiversity as a whole.
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I started my tapir work in 1996,
still very young, fresh out of college,
still very young, fresh out of college,
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and it was a pioneer research
and conservation program.
and conservation program.
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At that point, we had nearly
zero information about tapirs,
zero information about tapirs,
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mostly because they're
so difficult to study.
so difficult to study.
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They're nocturnal, solitary,
very elusive animals,
very elusive animals,
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and we got started getting
very basic data about these animals.
very basic data about these animals.
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But what is it
that a conservationist does?
that a conservationist does?
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Well, first, we need data.
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We need field research.
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We need those long-term datasets
to support conservation action,
to support conservation action,
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and I told you tapirs
are very hard to study,
are very hard to study,
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so we have to rely
on indirect methods to study them.
on indirect methods to study them.
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We have to capture and anesthetize them
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so that we can install GPS collars
around their necks
around their necks
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and follow their movements,
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which is a technique used by many
other conservationists around the world.
other conservationists around the world.
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And then we can gather information
about how they use space,
about how they use space,
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how they move through the landscape,
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what are their priority habitats,
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and so much more.
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Next, we must disseminate what we learn.
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We have to educate people about tapirs
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and how important these animals are.
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And it's amazing
how many people around the world
how many people around the world
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do not know what a tapir is.
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In fact, many people think
this is a tapir.
this is a tapir.
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Let me tell you, this is not a tapir.
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(Laughter)
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This is a giant anteater.
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Tapirs do not eat ants. Never. Ever.
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And then next we have to provide
training, capacity building.
training, capacity building.
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It is our responsibility to prepare
the conservationists of the future.
the conservationists of the future.
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We are losing several
conservation battles,
conservation battles,
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and we need more people doing what we do,
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and they need the skills,
and they need the passion to do that.
and they need the passion to do that.
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Ultimately, we conservationists,
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we must be able to apply our data,
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to apply our accumulated knowledge
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to support actual conservation action.
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Our first tapir program
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took place in the Atlantic Forest
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in the eastern part of Brazil,
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one of the most threatened
biomes in the world.
biomes in the world.
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The destruction of the Atlantic Forest
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began in the early 1500s,
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when the Portuguese
first arrived in Brazil,
first arrived in Brazil,
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beginning European colonization
in the eastern part of South America.
in the eastern part of South America.
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This forest was almost completely cleared
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for timber, agriculture, cattle ranching
and the construction of cities,
and the construction of cities,
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and today only seven percent
of the Atlantic forest
of the Atlantic forest
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is still left standing.
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And tapirs are found in very, very small,
isolated, disconnected populations.
isolated, disconnected populations.
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In the Atlantic Forest, we found out
that tapirs move through open areas
that tapirs move through open areas
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of pastureland and agriculture
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going from one patch of forest
to patch of forest.
to patch of forest.
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So our main approach in this region
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was to use our tapir data
to identify the potential places
to identify the potential places
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for the establishment
of wildlife corridors
of wildlife corridors
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in between those patches of forest,
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reconnecting the habitat
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so that tapirs and many other animals
could cross the landscape safely.
could cross the landscape safely.
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After 12 years in the Atlantic Forest,
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in 2008, we expanded our tapir
conservation efforts to the Pantanal
conservation efforts to the Pantanal
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in the western part of Brazil
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near the border with Bolivia and Paraguay.
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This is the largest continuous
freshwater floodplain in the world,
freshwater floodplain in the world,
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an incredible place
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and one of the most important strongholds
for lowland tapirs in South America.
for lowland tapirs in South America.
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And working in the Pantanal
has been extremely refreshing
has been extremely refreshing
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because we found large,
healthy tapir populations in the area,
healthy tapir populations in the area,
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and we have been able to study tapirs
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in the most natural conditions
we'll ever find,
we'll ever find,
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very much free of threats.
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In the Pantanal, besides the GPS collars,
we are using another technique:
we are using another technique:
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camera traps.
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This camera is equipped
with a movement sensor
with a movement sensor
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and it photographs animals
when they walk in front of it.
when they walk in front of it.
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So thanks to these amazing devices,
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we have been able
to gather precious information
to gather precious information
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about tapir reproduction
and social organization
and social organization
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which are very important
pieces of the puzzle
pieces of the puzzle
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when you're trying to develop
those conservation strategies.
those conservation strategies.
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And right now, 2015,
we are expanding our work once again
we are expanding our work once again
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to the Brazilian Cerrado,
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the open grasslands and shrub forests
in the central part of Brazil.
in the central part of Brazil.
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Today this region is the very epicenter
of economic development in my country,
of economic development in my country,
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where natural habitat
and wildlife populations
and wildlife populations
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are rapidly being eradicated
by several different threats,
by several different threats,
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including once again cattle ranching,
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large sugarcane and soybean plantations,
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poaching, roadkill, just to name a few.
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And somehow, tapirs are still there,
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which gives me a lot of hope.
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But I have to say that starting
this new program in the Cerrado
this new program in the Cerrado
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was a bit of a slap in the face.
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When you drive around
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and you find dead tapirs
along the highways
along the highways
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and signs of tapirs wandering around
in the middle of sugarcane plantations
in the middle of sugarcane plantations
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where they shouldn't be,
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and you talk to kids and they tell you
that they know how tapir meat tastes
that they know how tapir meat tastes
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because their families poach and eat them,
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it really breaks your heart.
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The situation in the Cerrado
made me realize --
made me realize --
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it gave me the sense of urgency.
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I am swimming against the tide.
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It made me realize that despite
two decades of hard work
two decades of hard work
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trying to save these animals,
we still have so much work to do
we still have so much work to do
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if we are to prevent them
from disappearing.
from disappearing.
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We have to find ways
to solve all these problems.
to solve all these problems.
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We really do, and you know what?
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We really came to a point
in the conservation world
in the conservation world
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where we have to think out of the box.
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We'll have to be a lot more creative
than we are right now.
than we are right now.
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And I told you, roadkill is a big problem
for tapirs in the Cerrado,
for tapirs in the Cerrado,
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so we just came up with the idea
of putting reflective stickers
of putting reflective stickers
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on the GPS collars we put on the tapirs.
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These are the same stickers
used on big trucks
used on big trucks
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to avoid collision.
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Tapirs cross the highways after dark,
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so the stickers will hopefully
help drivers see this shining thing
help drivers see this shining thing
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crossing the highway,
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and maybe they will
slow down a little bit.
slow down a little bit.
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For now, this is just a crazy idea.
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We don't know. We'll see if it will
reduce the amount of tapir roadkill.
reduce the amount of tapir roadkill.
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But the point is, maybe this is
the kind of stuff that needs to be done.
the kind of stuff that needs to be done.
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And although I'm struggling
with all these questions
with all these questions
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in my mind right now,
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I have a pact with tapirs.
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I know in my heart
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that tapir conservation is my cause.
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This is my passion.
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I am not alone.
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I have this huge network
of supporters behind me,
of supporters behind me,
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and there is no way
I'm ever going to stop.
I'm ever going to stop.
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I will continue doing this,
most probably for the rest of my life.
most probably for the rest of my life.
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And I'll keep doing this
for Patrícia, my namesake,
for Patrícia, my namesake,
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one of the first tapirs we captured
and monitored in the Atlantic Forest
and monitored in the Atlantic Forest
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many, many years ago;
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for Rita and her baby Vincent
in the Pantanal.
in the Pantanal.
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And I'll keep doing this for Ted,
a baby tapir we captured
a baby tapir we captured
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in December last year
also in the Pantanal.
also in the Pantanal.
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And I will keep doing this
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for the hundreds of tapirs
that I've had the pleasure to meet
that I've had the pleasure to meet
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over the years
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and the many others I know
I will encounter in the future.
I will encounter in the future.
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These animals deserve to be cared for.
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They need me. They need us.
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And you know? We human beings
deserve to live in a world
deserve to live in a world
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where we can get out there
and see and benefit from
and see and benefit from
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not only tapirs
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but all the other beautiful species,
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now and in the future.
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Thank you so much.
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(Applause)
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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Patrícia Medici - Wildlife conservationistPatrícia Medici leads the longest running conservation project to protect the threatened lowland tapir.
Why you should listen
Patrícia Medici is a Brazilian conservation biologist whose main professional interests are tapir conservation, tropical forest conservation, metapopulation management, landscape ecology and community-based conservation.
For the past 20 years, Patrícia has been working for a Brazilian non-governmental organization called IPÊ, Instituto de Pesquisas Ecológicas (Institute for Ecological Research), of which she was one of the founding members together with Cláudio and Suzana Padua. Since 1996, Patrícia has coordinated the Lowland Tapir Conservation Initiative in Brazil. Since 2000, Patrícia has been the Chairperson of the IUCN/SSC Tapir Specialist Group (TSG), a network of over 120 tapir conservationists from 27 different countries worldwide.
Patrícia has a Bachelor’s Degree in Forestry Sciences from the São Paulo University (USP – Universidade de São Paulo), a Masters Degree in Wildlife Ecology, Conservation and Management from the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG – Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais), Brazil, and a Ph.D. Degree in Biodiversity Management from the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE), University of Kent, United Kingdom.
Patrícia has been honored with three very prestigious conservation awards: Harry Messel Conservation Leadership Award from the International Union for Conservation of Nature in 2004, Golden Ark Award from the Golden Ark Foundation in the Netherlands in 2008, and Whitley Award from the Whitley Fund for Nature in the United Kingdom also in 2008. Patrícia received the 2011 Research Prize from the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE) of the University of Kent in the United Kingdom.
Patrícia Medici | Speaker | TED.com