yet to be started.
 To date, much of the function of
the Tapir Specialist Group has been to
support tapir conservationists and
researchers through exchange of ideas,
information and literature. In 1999, we
will begin to identify areas in which
we can work as a group, and to raise
money through the Tapir Preservation
Fund (a U.S.-based nonprofit
organization) to carry out TSG
activities.


TSG web site

This year, the Tapir Specialist Group
got its own web site
(http://www.tapirback.com/tapirgal/
iucn-ssc/tsg). It is housed on The
ITpir Gallery, web site of the Tapir
Preservation Fund. The TSG site is a
site unto itself and is designed to
coordinate with the IUCN site. You
can link to both the IUCN and SSC
sites from the TSG site. In addition,
links from our main page take you to
our newsletters (1997 is up, and 1998
will soon follow; back issues will be
posted as time permits). The English
language version of our Action Plan is
online (full text) and was the first
IUCN Action Plan to go online with
full text. Our thanks to Andrew
Mercer of New Zealand for helping
with this task. We were preceded
online by an AP produced by the
Australian government, and there are
several other IUCN Action Plans now
available on the web. The Spanish
version of the tapir AP is expected to
go online by the end of December or
early in January. The English and
Spanish versions will become part of a
demo that will be used to test and
promote the idea of a Digital Library
for the IUCN, beginning with
selected SSC documents and then
including the rest of the SSC library.
Ultimately, this ambitious and
innovative project is intended to
include the whole of the IUCN
library. It will be a multiple-part
project spanning several years. Sheryl
Todd attended a planning meeting in
Chicago in October hosted by the
Brookfield Zoo.
 Also on the TSG web site you'll


find a list of current members with
contact information and links to e-
mail. We update this page regularly, so
please keep us informed of any
changes.
 Our site also links to the most
complete tapir bibliography "in print."
This project was spearheaded by
Donald L.Janssen, D.V.M., of the San
Diego Zoo (credits are available on the
web page). The printed version and
database were turned over to the Tapir
Preservation Fund. We have added a
number ofcitations to bringthe total
to 555, with about 150 still to add. Due
to the cost ofprinting, general
accessibility of the web and dynamic
nature of a bibliography, we do not
expect to print another edition. If
researchers are unable to access the
web, a printed copy can be mailed. It
prints out to about 50 pages; please
send $5.00 for printing and postage to
Tapir Preservation Fund, P.O. Box
1432, Palisade, CO 81526 USA.
 The next link on our site goes to
the Tapir Talk e-mail list sign-up and
archives. There is also a search feature
which allows searching of both the
TSG site and The Tapir Gallery. We
receive an average of about 20 visitors
per week on the TSG's main page. The
Action Plan has had about 300 visitors.
 We're very happy with the site and
what it has to offer. Please remember
that it is OUR GROUP'S site -
suggestions and volunteer help are
always welcome.



Notices

Request for serum and
liver samples from tapirs

We are requesting banked or
opportunistically-collected serum and
post-mortem liver samples from
captive and free-ranging tapirs of any
species. We are attempting to
document the extent of copper
deficiency in captive and free-living
tapirs. Samples that we receive will be
batched and sent for analysis of Cu,
Zn, Fe, and other minerals. In a
preliminary study using banked serum


(n=22) and liver samples (n=3) from
tapirs, we have found extremely low
copper levels compared to reference
values from domestic animals. Copper
deficiency in domestic animals causes
a range of clinical signs including coat
changes, unthriftiness, diarrhea,
lameness, anemia, fractures, low
fertility, decreased immune function,
and neurologic disease. This study will
determine the extent of copper
deficiency in tapirs and to what extent
husbandry and disease occurrence is
associated with a deficiency. Significant
findings about copper metabolism in
tapirs will help improve the health of
the captive population.
 Federal express account number
available on request. Thankyou for
considering this request. Please send
10 ml of serum or 100 g of liver
(frozen at -10 to -20 degrees C) to:

Donald LJanssen, DVM, Dipl
ACZM
Department of Veterinary Services
San Diego Zoo
1354 Old Globe Way
San Diego, CA 92101 USA
619-557-3933 office )
619-230-1256 (ax)
djan4ren@sandiegozoo.org

Tapirs may be getting
their due in film

This is beginning to look like a pivotal
year for public awareness of tapirs
through video and film. Several
segments on tapirs have aired on
international television over the past
two years. This year, mountain tapirs
were filmed by a Korean company, the
results being shown at a nature film
festival inJapan in 1998 (see Craig
Downer's report under Ecuador). We
understand that several other
filmmakers are developing segments
for television. Until now, tapirs have
typically rated a few minutes at best in
nature films long enough to (with
luck) whet the viewer's appetite, but
not much more. This appears to be
changing. We hope that in 1999 tapirs
will be presented to the public in film
segments both long enough and
informative enough to enrich viewers'
knowledge of these remarkable


Tapir Conseiatlon, Newsletter of the IUCN/SSC Tapir Specialist Group Editor: Sharon Matola, PO. Box 1787, Belize City, Belize E-mail: BelizeZoo@bl.net / page 3