Tapirs are midnight snackers, too

After a brief hiatus last week to appreciate a very close encounter with an incredible herd of White-Lipped Peccaries (Tayassu pecari), we're back with more infrared camera trap footage!

As promised from our Earth Day 2020 post, here is a South American tapir (Tapirus terrestris) foraging at the Tapiche Reserve in the northern Amazon of Peru. Many of the walking trails that we use with visitors at the Tapiche Reserve are based on the trails that tapirs make through the forest. They clear the underbrush as they walk due to their hefty size, and they don't like getting their feet wet, so their trails stick to higher ground.

The conservation status of these incredible animals is "Vulnerable" on the IUCN's Red List, which means they could easily become endangered if we do not take immediate action to protect their habitat and allow their population to recover. These animals are a favorite hunting target in our area, so it is truly a treat to see them and reassurance that our conservation efforts are having a positive impact.

(This footage was captured in Jan 2020 despite what is stated on the date stamp. Made a mistake when setting up the camera trap, oops!)