How Costa Ricans Are Coming Together To Save The Baird’s Tapir
Vegan chocolatiers Mauricio Varela-Naranjo and Lucia Montero-Cole are determined to save Tapir Chocolates’ namesake from extinction
Costa Rica may be known around the world for adorable sloths, but its lesser-known Baird’s tapir — a peculiar-looking relative of the horse and rhinoceros — is one of the country’s most important species. Known as the “gardeners of the forest,” the tapir combats climate change by planting seeds and enriching the soil — and they have been doing so for 35 million years.
But this primarily nocturnal species is facing critical threats. Deforestation, poaching, trafficking, and road collisions stack the deck against the estimated 4,500 Baird’s tapirs left in the world. That’s why growing communities of tapir activists are using their diverse talents to fight back.
Costa Ricans Mauricio Varela-Naranjo and Lucia Montero-Cole don’t have scientific backgrounds, but they’re supporting tapir conservation in the most delicious way: Tapir Chocolates. The young chocolatiers donate a portion of the sales of their vegan…
