Tayra

If you are lucky enough to see one of these beautiful animals in the wild, it will not surprise you that they are closely related to martens and belong to the weasel family (Mustelidae). There are 7 subspecies of Tayra and they have an extensive range through South and Central America. There is even one species found on the Caribbean island of Trinidad. They are generally found in only tropical and subtropical forests, although they may cross grasslands at night to move between forest patches,[5] and they also inhabit cultivated plantations and croplands; where they sometimes come into conflict with farmers who breed poultry.

They are perfectly at home off the ground in the trees, with their long tails providing superb balance rather like a primate. When threatened, the Tayra produces short, barking sound and runs toward the nearest tree where it hides from the predators in the treetops. They are diurnal and omnivorous and feed on small mammals (such as mice, squirrels, agoutis, tamarins), reptiles, insects, invertebrates, or eats honey and fruit. They locate prey primarily by scent, having relatively poor eyesight, and actively chase it once located, rather than stalking or using ambush tactics

Their colouration is mainly a dark brown fur with a dark muzzle and lighter white patches sometimes on the throat or underneath. When a female Tayra is ready to mate she produces cat like sounds to attract the males and will then produce 2 to 3 kits after a gestation of around 9 weeks. Young tayras depend on the mother’s milk for the first 2 to 3 months of their life. A fully grown Tayra will reach around 24 inches in length (not including the tail) and weight around 6 kilos. They can live to around 15 years old in the wild.

Jaguar and Andean Bear safari in Colombia

A spectacular Colombia wildife tour designed by Allan after his recce to the country in May 2023. South America in general remains a wildlife hotspot and on the wishlist of many of our regular clients and our jaguar safaris in the Pantanal, Brazil are incredibly popular. However, costs for both private and small group jaguar safaris are very high there, so we have researched new destinations which are more affordable, but still give you a chance to see these iconic South American species. Safari in Colombia with us on this small group tour and explore the path less travelled.

Style - Pioneer
Duration (Excl. Flights) - 13
Activity Level
When to Go
  • Jan
  • Feb
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Price (Excl. flights)
£3950
Specialist Rainforest Photography Tour in Costa Rica

A specialist Costa Rica photography tours designed with careful consideration to the wildlife lodges and the quality of their facilities to enable the best photographic opportunities for our clients. The lodges have specialist hides and equipment which allows us to get up close and photograph species like bats, and King Vultures.

Style - Bespoke Wildlife
Duration (Excl. Flights) - 16
Activity Level
When to Go
  • Jan
  • Feb
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  • Apr
  • May
  • Jun
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  • Aug
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Price (Excl. flights)
£4900
Sloths and Monkeys

Experts on Costa Rica rainforests and ecosystems all acknowledge that mammal viewing in this species rich country is far from easy and many of the original Costa Rica eco lodges were set up more for birding groups, than mammal enthusiasts. Therefore a tour focused on viewing sloths, monkeys and other mammals species in Costa Rica needs to be carefully planned and include longer stays at the key habitat locations for primates and other mammals. With our ‘Sloths and Monkeys’ tour we have consulted wildlife photographers, our own trips and that of our clients to bring together all the elements required for some great mammal viewing.

Style - Bespoke Wildlife
Duration (Excl. Flights) - 13
Activity Level
When to Go
  • Jan
  • Feb
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  • Apr
  • May
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  • Aug
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  • Oct
  • Nov
  • Dec
Price (Excl. flights)
£4600
Quetzals, Humpbacks & Tapir

Our quest for not only a good location in Costa Rica to see Tapir, but also how to organise the day by day activities, has been a long but enjoyable one for Wildlife Trails. There are many companies who talk about ‘the chance’ to see Tapir, but 90% of the time you are going to be disappointed. We realised that the Osa Peninusula was one of the best places to see Tapir in Costa Rica, but without our clients pre-booking specific wildlife trails with expert guides, their chances would still be quite low. So, this tour not only gives you the best chance to see Tapir when visiting Costa Rica, but also includes some amazing Humpbacj, Dolphin and Quetzal action enroute. Enjoy the ride!

Style - Bespoke Wildlife
Duration (Excl. Flights) - 13
Activity Level
When to Go
  • Jan
  • Feb
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  • Apr
  • May
  • Jun
  • Jul
  • Aug
  • Sep
  • Oct
  • Nov
  • Dec
Price (Excl. flights)
£4500
Cloud Forest, Margays & Turtles

The timing of this Costa Rica wildlife holiday is crucial if you have a strong desire to see turtles. Tortuguero is one of the most important sites on the Western Hemisphere for the nesting of sea turtles. Four out of the seven sea turtle world species come to Tortuguero to nest, but because three of these species are highly endangered, there are only tours permitted to see the Green Turtles and these are managed by the park authorities. July to October is the best time to see the Green Tutles nesting, so this provides the window for our tour. As well as turtles, we visit the ‘real’ higher altitude cloud forests for sloth, monkeys and endemic birds like Orange-bellied Trogon. Here at Wildlife Trails we love to see what the animals are doing at night, so there are some very cool night walks for Costa Rica wildlife which comes alive in the dark.

Style - Bespoke Wildlife
Duration (Excl. Flights) - 12
Activity Level
When to Go
  • Jan
  • Feb
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Price (Excl. flights)
£3000
Black Lemurs and Whale Sharks

Follow in the footsteps of Wildlife Trails recent recce trip to the beautiful far north of Madagascar, as we visited Amber Mountain national park, Andrafiamena special reserve, Ankarana and enjoyed a relaxing and exhilerating stay on the stunning island of Nosy Sakatia; from where you will go snorkelling with Hawksbill and Green turtles, as well as enjoying a small boat safari trip to snorkell with the graceful and serene whale sharks. Expect adventure, great food, few tourists and to see an incredible variety of landscapes, as well as diverse marine and terrestrial wildlife packed into a small geographical area. Simply stunning!

Style - Bespoke Wildlife
Duration (Excl. Flights) - 13
Activity Level
When to Go
  • Jan
  • Feb
  • Mar
  • Apr
  • May
  • Jun
  • Jul
  • Aug
  • Sep
  • Oct
  • Nov
  • Dec
Price (Excl. flights)
£3950