I’m happy to announce my collaboration with the AndigenA and Guáquira Foundations of Venezuela on the book “La Danta en Venezuela: más allá del mito” (Tapirs in Venezuela: Beyond the Myth). I was put in contact with AndigenA founder Denis Alexander Torres by mutual friends after an expedition to document the wildlife of Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula in Corcovado National Park. Tapirs, or Dantas as they’re commonly called in Spanish, are some funky-looking creatures. They’re in the same biological Order (Perissodactyla) as Horses and Rhinoscereses.
The book’s focus was their history in Venezuela where the South American tapir (Tapirus terrestris) is found. Worldwide there are five extant species of tapir with the Baird’s tapir (Tapirus bairdii) being found in Central America, and the book also briefly covered those species. I provided images to help illustrate this part of the book. You can find out more about the book in it’s publication announcement here.