CIARA STAFFORD

CIARA HAS GENUINE EXPERTISE TO IMPART TO READERS AND WRITES A NEAT BLOG WHICH IS INFORMATIVE, AND GENTLY HUMOROUS.” JAMES FAIR

Manchester, UK/Amazon, South America Stripy Tapir https://stripytapir.wordpress.com

I started Stripy Tapir as a field journal of sorts, to share photographs and stories of the wildlife I see at home and on my travels. Though distinctly international in scope, I hope my blog bears testament to the fact that beguiling species are never too far from home. I split my time between Manchester and Norwich in the UK, and my field site in the Amazon rainforest. I study primate conservation, and my research focuses on exploring the relationship between primates and the indigenous communities they share their habitat with. I’m interested in whether people think primates have ecological or cultural value, which species benefit from the way populations manage their forests, and which are most vulnerable to hunting.

Highlight of the year

The night walks in the Amazon jungle come out on top as my highlight of the year, as they included some of the area’s most bizarre invertebrates, and glimpses of behaviours that are really rare. I saw a bird caught in a spider’s web, and a tailless whip scorpion. I even managed to find my first ever gladiator tree frog. For years I had only heard the disembodied croaks of this species coming the canopy. Incredible animals, great company, and an adventure. What more could a Local Patch Reporter want?