TAPIR FIELD VETERINARY MANUAL - Tapir Specialist Group

11. Interventions in Individual and Population
Health
The intervention in wild animal population health is a very controversial topic. As any
therapeutic or prophylactic intervention, it should be considered in the light of the
ecosystem balance, the conservation of the species and on-going evolutionary processes.
In the last analysis, there is no single rule for whether a veterinary should or should not
intervene in the health of a wild animal. However, whenever the choice is taken to
intervene, the veterinarian must make sure that this action will imply no risk to the
survival of the rest of the population or to the stability of the ecosystem (e.g. live
vaccines, resistant bacteria selection etc.).
It is consensual to treat lesions that were caused by the capture or the handling of the
animal, when the animal gets hurt while in the trap, hunting dogs, chronic lesions from
radio-collars etc. The treatment of non-capture-related lesions, however, is much more
controversial. One might argue that the treatment of these lesions implies in interference
on the natural processes of mortality and evolution, while one of the pillars of the
conservation philosophy is to make sure that the evolutionary process continues in its
natural balance. On the other side, however, one might argue that most of these traumas
are probably indirect consequences of the population stress due to human interference,
and that treating these lesions would be exactly to minimize that interference. Another
argument is that in reduced populations, where the death of a single individual might have
important consequences on the population, the emergency situation justifies the
veterinary assistance of the few individuals that are left.
Vaccination protocols, if necessary, should be applied carefully, using only inactivated
vaccines, or vaccines that have been previously validated for tapirs. Some diseases where
vaccines might be used include tetanus, Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis, and Equine
Encephalomyelitis.
The removal of individuals of high genetic value may also be considered during high
epidemic risk situations. These individuals may be transferred to captivity or low risk
areas, following the recommendations from the IUCN/SSC Tapir Specialist Group
(TSG) Experimental Protocols for Tapir Re-Introduction and Translocation.