A MAGNIFICENT ENCOUNTER with a Wild Tapir

Stories

A face to face encounter with a wild Tapir

Photographing the wildlife

When photographing wildlife in the AmazonRainforest, much preparation and hard work are needed to get the pictures you want. You need to know what you want to shoot and determine the best way to capture it with the equipment at your disposal. This often requires knowledge of the subject’s behavior and natural history. However, sometimes the best shots are those that come with pure luck like this face-to-face encounter with a wild tapir.

While in the Peruvian Amazon rainforest in the National Reserve of Tambopata, I wanted to photograph and document many species and interactions between organisms. I was particularly interested in the gruesome lifecycle of the cordyceps fungus.

This insect-parasite deposits one of its spores on its insect host, it germinates and takes control of the insect’s nervous system, eventually killing it and feeding on it to grow and develop into adult cordyceps. I had recently spotted a patch of grass on a dried-up riverbed where hundreds of ants had succumbed to this deadly fungus.

Cordy fungus

     An unfortunate victims of the Cordyceps fungus

An incredible Wild Tapir Encounter

It was around 2 pm and I had returned to this spot to get some close-up shots of this interaction. I had only brought my 90mm macro lens to keep my rucksack light (in 98% humidity, heavy loads are a real drag). After a 30-minute walk through the jungle, I arrived at the spot where the fungus was and started snapping away.

After about 35 minutes I start to hear grunting noises in the forest. It sounds like something is moving leaf litter around. I often see peccaries (a type of wild pig) in this area so I assume a couple of them are foraging for food and ignore them, focusing instead on my ant-eating fungus. But the noises are getting louder and louder: the peccaries must be getting closer, I think!

Suddenly, I see a crazy-looking insect resembling nothing I have ever seen! Just as I’m about to snap it, bushes rustle right in front of me. I am startled: the cool-looking insect had distracted me from the surrounding noises! Slowly I catch a glimpse of a large animal that slowly emerges from the bushes…

I still think the culprit is a peccary, and it is getting closer… The shape of the animal becomes a bit clearer as it continues to emerge from the vegetation. It is not a peccary, only something much bigger and gray looking! I see an oddly shaped nose and…. Oh my! A fully-grown tapir (Tapirus terrestris), on the dried-up river bed, only 10 meters away from me, staring straight at me! I get a rush of excitement: I have never seen a tapir; they are very shy and more difficult to spot than the jaguar, and it is even rarer to spot them inside the rainforest. The few sightings are normally from a boat along the river.

What a learned that day…

During my stay at the jungle ecolodges of Rainforest Expeditions. Their field guides working there had told me that tapirs posed no threat to humans, as they are strictly vegetarian and generally non-aggressive.

BOOK: TAMBOPATA RESEARCH CENTER

So, I start shooting with my macro lens. I wish I had brought a longer lens to get closer to my subject. But this soon stops being an issue: the tapir starts walking towards me! It is moving slowly and cautiously, but it continues approaching. Tapirs may be placid, but this one is massive, and I start to get a bit nervous. Tapirs are renowned for their poor eyesight, maybe this one hasn’t seen me?

What if it gets a fright and charges at me? Animals can be unpredictable. With these thoughts going through my head, I try to remain calm and keep snapping. The tapir is getting so close that it is almost filling my camera frame! It is now five meters away. I try to remain calm, silent, and composed and continue taking photos.

Three meters! My camera frame is now too small for the 300kg, ice-age-like prehistoric-looking mammal.

Two meters! I take a couple more shots and put my camera down, ready to jump out of its way. I am looking right at him, we are at the same eye level as I am crouched down.

Tapir among the bushes

Face to face with a Tapir

Tapir by Louis Guillot in Tambopata Peru

Encounter with a wild Tapir in the rainforest

Time seems to freeze

The tapir gets even closer, it is now one meter away, having a staring contest with me. I am not exaggerating, I can smell its breath, and it is not very pleasant. Then… the tapir stops. Both stationary we lock eyes for about ten seconds. What a magical moment.

Encounter with wild tapir at night

Wild Tapir walking at night – Photo by Paul Bertner

After the pause, the tapir walks right past me, sniffs my bag, and disappears into the forest gracefully. I am left dumbfounded as to what has just happened. I find it amazing that such a large mammal can creep on you without being seen and then disappear into the jungle just as quickly. The tapir is a truly elusive and awesome animal. It was an unforgettable encounter with wild tapir.

When you have the opportunity to visit the Peruvian Amazon jungle to make wildlife photography, you must ensure that to have an experience like this (wild tapir encounter), the location of the place you visit is the most appropriate to maximize your options to see more wildlife.

The Rainforest Expeditions lodges are strategically located within a private reserve such as Posada Amazonas, with an extensive portion of the Tambopata National Reserve at their back as Refugio Amazonas or even within the Tambopata National Reserve and facing the Bahuaja Sonene National Park as the Tambopata Research Center.

Also, make sure that the tour operator you take has responsible practices with the place and its local population.

Can’t stop reading stories about the fascinating tapir, do not miss the following blog:

Embracing the Charm and Conservation of Tapirs in Tambopata

By Louis Guillot

I am a wildlife photographer studying zoology at the University of Bristol, UK. In 2016-17, I worked on a research project on parasitic wasps at the London Natural History Museum, reporting to the Head of Entomology, Dr. Gavin Broad. In summer 2017, I volunteered for the Tambopata Macaw Project and fell in love with the area. I took many photos during my time as a volunteer and learned much about jungle life. Also, I was sponsored by GoPro and shot videos and photos for them, which feature on my Instagram page. 

You can follow my jungle stories on my Instagram page: louis_guillot (https://www.instagram.com/louis_guillot/). 

See my photos on my online portfolio: https://louisguillot.smugmug.com/

Contact me here: louisjmguillot@gmail.com 

Keep an eye out for my next blogs.

  • What our guest say

    • Valuation Excellent
    • 5/5

Laura Franklin December 2025

Lee Wozencroft December 2025

Suraj Vijayan December 2025

Claudia A. January 2026

AMJNZ November 2025

Real CBakes November 2025

C M November 2025

giovannaBorneo November 2025

Alyssa Zhen November 2025

citlalli October 2025

Pat October 2025

John W October 2025

I can not say enough good things about my time at the Tambopata Research Center. Between the guides, the boat drivers, the chefs, the staff, the bartenders, the researchers, etc. Everyone was absolutely wonderful! If you are interested in viewing wildlife in the Amazon, this is the place for you! A special thank you to the maître d' Carlos who was so incredibly kind and hospitable and our guide Dino who was like a real life Indiana Jones. I can't wait to come back! Read all

An unforgettable, fully immersive jungle experience. Amazing how Tambopata Lodge delivers luxury touches in such a remote and rugged location. The food is fantastic, the staff incredible, and the wildlife sightings non-stop. The personalised itinerary and one-on-one guiding made the trip truly special—huge thanks to our guide Johan for sharing his passion and knowledge. The Macaw Project is inspiring, and it’s clear the lodge fully supports this important conservation work. Manager Brian was always kind, helpful. Well-done all involved. Read all

The most important fact we are grateful for is the true sense of understanding of the ecology of the Amazon the staff at Rainforest Expeditions (RFE) have shown us. RFE stands out for its stand against the pure, profit-motive initiatives many other tour operators do. We are very grateful to have had Carlos as our guide. Carlos is deeply dedicated, and is able to explain the nuances of the flora and fauna. The world today needs to act as one against the impact of climate change. RFE is one, bright shining light in this regard. Read all

We had a fabulous trip! The people were amazing, kind and very professional. The food was exceptionally good! The facilities are beautiful and well kept. We just loved our second time with Rainforest Expeditions and can't wait to go again!! Read all

Fantastic to be deep in the forest surrounded by incredible wildlife with our amazing guide Juan Carlos Yatto, who really knew his stuff! Also his photography skills meant that we could share our experience even better through his telescope using our phone cameras! We learned so much!! He went to extra lengths to find butterflies and moths for us along with so many different birds and monkeys. This was a travel highlight for us as experienced wildlife travellers. We loved our spacious room with no windows and open to more wildlife visitors but after 5 nights the bed could have been a little more comfortable. Luckily we had a second bed to use. Otherwise it was fantastic with hot water showers and fresh drinking water all the time. We were amazed at the variety of food on offer for breakfast, lunch and dinner and couldn’t believe they could have such a wonderful food offering in such a remote location. Even the wine and cocktails were great. I highly recommend spending the extra money and time getting to this location. We stayed at another lodge later which was closer to Puerto Maldonado and there was far less wildlife. Read all

Ederson made the stay at the lodge amazing. I have had many guides around the world and Ederson may be the best I have had across 50 countries. The lodge itself is nice, and has electricity. Food is good, and you really feel immersed in the amazon staying there. Its great that a portion of the money goes back to conservation and research. Noteworthy details: Ederson, the "commander" is the best guide! Read all

Through a travel agency in Lima we booked a 4day/3-night stay at Refugio Amazonas. We were looking for a lodge that was far away from Puerto Maldonado but didn't require almost a day to get there (like TRC), with extensive walking trails and with the principal jungle highlights nearby. We were not disappointed. As we later learned, this is probably the best lodge in the region! Well run, quiet, excellent food, beautifully located in the middle of the forest, everything was "right". Surprisingly there were few mosquitos or bugs. Emperatriz (MP as some call her), our guide, has a keen eye and took us on some unforgettable walks and boat rides, both day and night. The birds at the clay lick were fantastic. The lodge also had evening lectures by young researchers as well as special activities such as collecting night moths and setting a trap camera. We later received videos and photo's of what was found (including a puma!). I can recommend this lodge without reservation. Read all

Abbiamo scelto il Tambopata Research Center perché il nostro obbiettivo era di poter vedere le are da vicino. Ci siamo stati ad inizio dicembre scorso, l'inizio della stagione delle piogge, perciò abbiamo scelto di restare 5 notti/6 giorni, abbiamo messo in conto di perdere delle giornate a causa della pioggia e per la lontananza da Puerto Maldonado, per nostra fortuna durante il nostro soggiorno ha piovuto solo il giorno di partenza proprio quando arrivavamo in aeroporto. Non c'é stato un giorno che non ne abbiamo visto: are di diverse specie e colori e molti altri uccelli e primati, spettacolare l'incontro a pochi centimetri con un formichiere bianco, ma non il giaguaro. Consigliamo di pernottatre almeno 3 notti, il viaggio é molto lungo. Noi eravamo all'aeroporto di Lima già alle 8:00 di mattina e tra un volo in ritardo, uno spostamento in bus di ca. 45 minuti per arrivare al fiume, ed un trasferimento in barca veloce, siamo arrivati al lodge verso le 16:30. All'aeroporto ci ha accolto la nostra guida privata Alfred, che ci ha seguito per tutto il soggiorno, di giorno in giorno abbiamo deciso le escursioni da fare, ed Alfred si é rivelato essere una super guida, un occhio di falco per scoprire anche il più piccolo uccellino, con pazienza é riuscito a farci camminare chilometri nella giungla, ci ha spiegato molto sulla flora e fauna. Bravissimo a far video e foto con i nostri telefoni col suo binocolo e cavalletto che si portava sempre appresso, queste foto sono dei magnifici ricordi. TRC non é un hotel, é un centro di ricerca per le are, in mezzo ad una foresta ed a ore dal primo centro abitato, perciò non avevamo delle grandi aspettative ne sul cibo ne sull'alloggio Read all

This place is a treat!! Incredible flora & fauna, food and service - the staff is quite attentive. Interesting research, with lots of potential. Visiting the Peruvian Amazon Rainforest is a must do! Read all

We had the most amazing time EVER at Refugio Amazonas, and I am so very glad I booked our stay here. Honestly, this is to date probably the best travel experience we have ever had and I will never forget our time in the Amazon here. First of all, the lodge is beautiful. Our room was lovely. The beds were comfy. The bathrooms are large. It is incredible waking up to the sounds of the jungle and falling asleep to the insects at night. We did have some insects in our room, and a rodent, and even a tarantula (non poisonous)! But it was part of the experience. The food was great and they prioritize native and local ingredients. My partner and I are both vegan and they took SUCH good care of us. The food was delicious, and we had ample vegan options every meal. Everything from the first email contacts with Katia to the transfers to the first night info session to the activities-- which I will get to in a second-- was incredible. It is a bit pricey, but everything is included and there is nothing you need to worry about, and it was so worth it. OK now for the best part-- the activities. Holy wow. First of all, we had the best guide EVER-- Juan Carlos. He was amazing. He is a bird expert, knows so much about the animals who live in the rainforest, the insects, the trees, the plant life, it was incredible. He also so clearly cared that everyone in our group had an amazing time. He took so many pictures for us, pointed out so many animals for us, and made sure we all enjoyed every moment. I can’t thank him enough because it made our time here so very special. We went on many activities that were amazing, and we saw so many animals— capybaras, howler monkeys, capuchin monkeys, so many incredible insects, frogs, tarantulas, so many many birds and butterflies. Every activity was amazing but the highlights were the macaw clay lick and the canopy tower. And we were super impressed and happy to hear about their commitment to conservation, protecting the animals, and supporting the native community nearby. There is so much I could say about our stay here but I would recommend a 3 night stay over 2 nights (so you can do more activities), and make sure you read the guides they send via email before you come so you pack correctly and know what to expect and bring--the guide includes everything so that there are no surprises, and we knew exactly what to expect, although our stay exceeded our expectations! I highly, highly recommend staying here, it was magical, it was a once in a life time adventure, and I will never forget it. I also want to shout out the manager of the lodge, I forgot her name, but she was incredible, as well as the service staff at meal times, who were so kind and helpful to point out what was vegan all of the time. I truly hope we can come back some day!! Read all

The lodge was kept very clean, and the staff paid close att to people's needs. It was very easy find activities and the guides were excellent with a genuine intended approach towards sustainability and environment longevity. Read all

A superb stay in a top class Lodge which gave a wonderful insight into the Amazon wildlife. Our guide was Juan Carlos who has incredible knowledge and a lovely sense of humour. The staff in the lodge were so friendly and the meals provided were something to look forward to. A wonderful experience! Read all

Join To Our Newsletter

Write your e-mail

Join