Peccary

Two toed sloth

While in Costa Rica on the Avian Biology study abroad I was amazed by the incredible beauty of my surroundings. I had planned to go on this trip and only see birds, and while I did see a lot of birds, I was surprised to see many other types of wildlife and livestock. Whether we were hiking or just relaxing in the lodges, we were constantly seeing new animals. These animals included everything from mischievous monkeys to emerald basilisks. Each one was just as incredible as the next. I would have to say my favorite animal we saw was the peccary. At first glance, a peccary looks like a type of wild hog but they are actually from the same family as a deer and enjoy traveling in groups. One day we split into small groups and went on short birding hikes. When we stopped to search for a bird in the tree tops we were startled by a group of curious peccaries that wandered up. Before running off one of the little creatures stopped and made a barking noise at us, a warning the whole group found very comical coming from such a small, non-threatening animal. Another memorable animal we saw was the two toed sloth. My friend, that was with me on the trip, had joked the entire week that if she did not see a sloth in Costa Rica then she was not going home. Lucky for her we happened to be staying in a cabin next to a thick tree line where our guide had spotted one. After a short search, we located the sloth and were able to snap photos and appreciate him from a much closer distance than normal. For my friend this was one of the highlights of the trip, I certainly enjoyed getting to watch her fulfill a life long dream. While the purpose of the trip was to appreciate the birds this pre-vet student sure was thankful that we saw as much wildlife as possible.