Baird’s tapirs are an endangered species, mainly due to habitat loss and pressure from hunting. Corcovado National Park in Costa Rica — where there has never been any hunting or human habitation — is one of the best places to photograph them in the wild. In four days in the park, I saw five different tapirs, including this large male crossing a river. I had my 200-400mm lens but decdied to go a bit wider, at 80mm, to frame the tapir with all the rain forest vegetation. Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 80mm) ISO 3200, f/2.8 at 1/125th of a second
I’ve seen them at the zoo, I believe they are from the horse family. Not endowed with beauty, and I wouldn’t have thought they would have tackled crossing water. Well captured Sean in your inimitable style.
Hi Donna, no they don’t eat meat. Strictly herbivores. Or do you mean, do the hunters eat the meat? Yes, they do. There’s a crazy opening scene in the movie Apocalypto where a tapir is captured by an Amazon tribe and eaten. The tapirs themselves are not aggressive. In fact, I was able to get one to feel so comfortable with me that I was able to photograph him from just a few feet away.
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I’ve seen them at the zoo, I believe they are from the horse family. Not endowed with beauty, and I wouldn’t have thought they would have tackled crossing water. Well captured Sean in your inimitable style.
Yes, they are most closely related to horses and rhinos (the odd toed ungulates). Not exactly lookers, but with plenty of ungainly charm.
One or three or other—-Odd toed rhinoette wades on —-A hoofed treasure.
Glad you included it’s habitat. Are they aggressive animals? Do they eat the meat when they are hunted?
Hi Donna, no they don’t eat meat. Strictly herbivores. Or do you mean, do the hunters eat the meat? Yes, they do. There’s a crazy opening scene in the movie Apocalypto where a tapir is captured by an Amazon tribe and eaten. The tapirs themselves are not aggressive. In fact, I was able to get one to feel so comfortable with me that I was able to photograph him from just a few feet away.
Yes I meant do the hunters eat the meat! But now I learned that they are herbivores and gentle creatures. Thanks for the insight Sean.
great jungle pic.