Tamandua
In all my years working in the rainforest, never have I had such a close encounter with this special animal, the tamandua. Probably because they are mostly nocturnal and rarely seen during the day. I was relaxing in between activities around lunchtime and my local guide and good friend Gilbert came and got me. He quietly took me into the forest where he had spotted this beautiful animal. We watched it for 45 minutes being mindful of its space and watching it eat the termites and ants. They are in the anteater family, have no teeth, and are fantastic climbers. They have very limited vision and rely on their hearing and sense of smell. They utilize their sharp claws and powerful forearms to rip open the nest of termites and use their long tongues (which can reach up to 16 inches and is coated with sticky saliva) to extract the insects. Remarkable animal.
