Whats involved with studying tapirs in the wild?
Studying tapirs in the wild requires many resources and a solid scientific question that only study in the wild can answer. The sort of person attracted to research on tapirs will need to be intrepid, creative, motivated, and dedicated. Usually a researcher conducts their research and gathers his or her data while pursuing a masters or Ph.D degree or if sponsored by a scientific NGO (such as studies involving population status). Actual time in the field–the best part about research–does not make up the bulk of a researcher’s time. Often fundraising, coordinating travel and transportation, hiring and training field assistants, analyzing data in the lab or at the academic institution and writing up reports and papers on findings makes up the majority of a researcher’s time. Studying tapirs in the wild is also expensive. See our list of typical field expenses, and our list of researchers who have websites about their projects.
