Los Katios National Park, one of the government protected areas in the region of Darien in Colombia, it is a centre of endemism and diversity that is threatened by selective and excessive logging and hunting pressure. These actions are endangering ecosystems and threatened species such as the Baird's Tapir, declining dramatically its population.

The present´s work purpose is to conduct a participative monitoring of Baird´s Tapir with human communities, which collects information about the actual population status of the species, determine habitat uses and food habits, and evaluate the effect of hunting and logging. At the same time, implement environmental education activities and community based conservation actions to ensure the public awareness of the importance of the Baird`s Tapir in the ecosystems.

Before the beginning of the work a general meeting will be held to the entire community within the area. Through a workshop, a basic group of people will be formed, and with them it plans, develops and conducts the sampling methods. We will also assist local people families to implement their own family projects, under sustainable lineaments. This assistance will be done helping them get in contact with organizations that fund them, technical information and supervision too. A systematic trap survey will be elaborated whose primary objective is to asses Baird`s Tapir populations and estimate population densities of this species. With the numbers of signs and sightings collected from line transects, the analysis of type of habitat use will be made. The effects of logging will be assessed by the same procedure considering deforested areas as a habitat type. Diet and food habits will be studied through faecal analysis and direct sightings.

The results will help to design a management plan between local people and park functionaries. The project will help to decrease the threats to Baird`s Tapir in the park, converting local people in direct designers and performers of the project, making them realized of the real effect that their activities have causing to their environment. All of this is made to establish a conservation program that ensures the long term participative protection of Baird`s Tapir and its habitat on Los Katios National Park and to be replicated in other country regions.