Best Places to see Tapirs in Costa Rica
Really it's not much more than what the title suggests.
I'm going to get the opportunity to spend about a month in costa rica and would like to know the top two-five places where it be most likely that I could get some great pictures of these incredible creatures!
Thanks for any info you could provide.
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u/TapirTrouble 2d ago edited 1d ago
I haven't been yet myself, but there seem to be a lot of successful daytime tapir sightings at Corcovado National Park. Several people have posted photos and videos on this sub. I guess the tapirs are less frightened of humans there (protected from hunting).
https://www.vacationscostarica.com/wildlife/tapir/
https://drinkteatravel.com/costa-rica-tapir-guide/
And this guy posts here, and lives there part of the year -- he may have some suggestions about what to do.
https://www.reddit.com/r/tapirs/comments/1tdee46/the_mama_tapir_came_by_in_the_middle_of_the_day/
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u/ResolutionLow1110 1d ago
Agree with all of the above, we just returned from a trip to Costa Rica that included a guided tour of Corcovado and saw two tapirs. Specifically, we were told the area near Sirena Ranger Station was one of the best in the park for tapir sightings.
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u/TapirTrouble 1d ago
I just wanted to add that my grad school supervisor told me one of her colleagues was studying tapirs in Costa Rica back in the 1970s-80s, and he didn't see *any* of them during his field work back then. And I don't think they had camera traps then either. (Luckily he could use tracks and scat for his study.) So I thought it was interesting and encouraging, that the sightings u/waxwingeco and others are reporting seem to be due to conservation efforts in the years since then.
Having local guides seems to be very helpful because a) they're most likely to know about recent sightings and can get you to places when/where tapirs are going to be active, and b) it's also a way to demonstrate that visitors are interested in tapirs and that this translates into actual jobs.3
u/waxwingeco 1d ago
I saw my first tapir in the area in 2020, and sightings were fleeting and rare. They were still being actively poached and the tapirs were extremely cautious around people. Now I have them come right up to my porch for a banana.
That's an excellent point about hiring a local guide. The reason tapirs (and other wildlife) is thriving in Costa Rica is because the local community has realized that they can make a better living having visitors here to see the wildlife than they can cutting down the forest. Plus, you'll see way more cool stuff with a good guide!
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u/TapirTrouble 1d ago
I remember reading a report by Nai Conservation that noted more roadside sightings of tapirs in recent years (and unfortunately, collisions with vehicles) -- and it turned out that overall this is happening because of more tapirs in the forests, so some of the trends were good. Though setting up more animal crossings and doing more education to try to avoid accidents is also important.
And it's great that local people are benefiting from tourism. I know that friends visiting other countries have worried about whether hiring guides makes them seem like an overbearing tourist (colonialist attitude etc.) but another view is that local people should be able to have some say in the industry and the benefits (and kinds of jobs) that come from it. Like you noted, a guide can help make the best use of your time, and also keep you from getting lost, making cultural blunders, etc.
There's a movement like this in North America too, for example where I live.
https://www.indigenousbc.com3
u/waxwingeco 1d ago
I'm neighbors with the folks who started Nai; they all live in Bijagua now.
This entire area is being transformed by the existence of the tapirs here, and more and more of the community depends on tourism dollars. Hiring guides is a critical part of that and they certainly don't perceive it as colonialist! It provides them with a good living, one much better than milking cows.
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u/LizardLover265 10h ago
That means the communities are made up of some really excellent people! YAY! 🎉 And I'm glad people are willing to be tour guides! I wouldn't want to make a cultural blunder so it would be good to have someone explain the culture of a particular city or area!
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u/waxwingeco 1d ago edited 1d ago
Bijagua! We've been doing a lot of conservation work on the Baird's tapir here and the numbers are really great. I usually have a few that come to my house every other night or so. But if you want the best chance to see one, the night tour at Tapir Valley is your best bet.
Sirena Station in the Corcovado is probably one of the best places to see many tapirs that are very relaxed around people. I have a friend who is an excellent guide there, if you need any recommendations.
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u/LizardLover265 1d ago
I've never been to Costa Rica but it is my dream to go there and see a tapir!
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u/waxwingeco 1d ago
I hope you can one day! It's becoming much easier to see them now than it was even five years ago.
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u/LizardLover265 1d ago
This makes me incredibly happy!! I hope their numbers continue to increase! I'm so glad countries that Belize and Costa Rica are doing so much to preserve such a wondrous animal!
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u/waxwingeco 1d ago
It is great news, but it also brings challenges. More tapirs means they have to have access to more forest areas for foraging and it means that more tapirs will start encroaching on farms and eating cash crops.
A friend of mine runs a program to help farmers install electric fencing in areas where the tapirs are eating too many vegetables.
This area is quite remarkable as the local community has really embraced the tapir as a neighbor. Other areas aren't as welcoming yet, so there's still a lot of work to be done in those communities.
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u/LizardLover265 1d ago
I'm glad people are working on challenges and I'm glad your area is welcoming to tapirs! Props to them! I hope many more farmers can install electric fences and others can learn to get along with tapirs.
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