Top 10 Mammals You Can Film in Colombia

Colombia Is the Perfect Location for Natural History Film Productions

Colombia is a staggeringly biodiverse country. As the only nation on earth that combines the Andes mountains, the Pacific and Caribbean coast, the Amazon rainforest, and the plains of Orinoquia, Colombia is home to a diverse range of habitats and ecosystems supporting around 10% of all species on flora and fauna on earth.

The Top 10 Mammals You Can Film in Colombia

The World’s Most Bird-Diverse Country Is Also the World’s Fourth-Most Mammal-Diverse Country

It is a well-known fact that Colombia is the world's most bird-diverse country. Still, fewer people know that it is also the country with the fourth-highest mammal diversity on earth and the highest number of terrestrial mammal species of any nation. There are around 450 species of mammals found in Colombia, including big cats, great whales, endemic monkeys, and more than 25 species of opossum!

Many Regions of Colombia Are Unexplored

Science still has so much to learn about Colombian mammal diversity. The country is comparatively unexplored, and many regions remain virgin territory for scientific study. For example, the extremely rare Colombian Weasel is only known from six museum specimens. It was only photographed alive in the wild for the first time in 2011 when a man found one trapped in his parent's bathroom on the fringes of Farallones de Cali National Park. So you never know: your natural history production in Colombia could potentially capture groundbreaking footage of some of the world's most elusive mammal species.

WhereNext Can Take You Where The Mammals Are.

Mammals are typically warier and harder to film than most birds. Still, with our Colombian production company's geographical knowledge of Colombia and extensive experience in producing natural history projects, there are many spectacular mammal species that it is entirely possible to film here. In fact, in just a few days of filming in a region like the Eastern Plains, you can obtain world-class images of many of Colombia's most iconic mammals.

Here Are Our Top Ten Mammals to Film in Colombia

Our Colombian production company has observed and filmed many of the mammals on this list for our natural history productions for clients, including ProColombia, Awake Travel, USAID, and Columbia Sportswear. Here's our top ten.

Humpback Whale

The Colombian Pacific region is one of South America's most critical areas for breeding humpback whales, which visit the warm, safe waters annually from June to October to give birth and raise their calves. While the first whales start arriving as soon as early June and some hang around until the start of November, the best time to film these mighty cetaceans is between August and September. By then, most of their calves have been born and are beginning to develop adult behaviors like breaching and spyhopping, making for spectacular footage. The prime locations for filming humpback whales in Colombia are the small towns of Nuqui and Bahia Solano in the Chocó region, the Uramba National Park near Buenaventura, and the southern coastal city of Tumaco in Nariño department.

A Humpback Whale breaching in Utria National Park on the Colombian Pacific coast

Giant Anteater

The strange and surreal Giant Anteater is undoubtedly one of the world's most curious mammals. They can be filmed relatively easily in the Eastern Plains region of Colombia, particularly on nature reserves in the Casanare department. The dryer months between December and March are the best time to spot these shy creatures, as the vegetation thins out, and they become easier to spot loping across the scorched plains. For such a massive beast, Giant Anteaters are incredibly timid around people, and often the best way to get a close encounter is on horseback, as they are used to the presence and scent of horses in this cowboy country. Also, since the species is most active at night and early morning, you'll need to be out in the field extremely early to stand a good chance of filming one.

As part of our work on sustainable tourism campaigns in the Eastern Plains region, our Colombian production company has filmed Giant Anteaters and can arrange the most knowledgeable local guides on your quest to capture one on film.

A Giant Anteater carrying her baby on her back on the plains of Casanare department.

Jaguar

The greatest predator in South America is also one of the most elusive and mysterious mammals on earth. For many nature filmmakers, encountering a wild jaguar in the Holy Grail of South American nature documentary production (at least, outside of Brazil's Pantanal, where they can be quite common in September and October). Filming a wild jaguar in Colombia was once a fool's hope. Still, thanks to pioneering conservation work at the spectacular Hato La Aurora Reserve in the Casanare department, jaguar sightings have grown exponentially. Now, in the dry months at the start of the year, you have an excellent chance of filming wild jaguars near the reserve's watering holes. Recent visits have even yielded video of playful cubs, first-time hunts, and jaw-dropping tussles between jaguars and anacondas.

Our Colombian production company has filmed nature documentaries at Hato La Aurora and produced their recent award-winning conservation videos about their jaguar project with the Panthera Foundation.

Giant Otter

Another unusual giant beast of the Eastern Plains, the Giant Otter, is sadly considered endangered. However, healthy populations of these noisy aquatic mammals exist in some natural reserves in Casanare, and with patience and dedication, they can be filmed in their natural habitat. One such reserve is Altagracia, where we filmed a sustainable tourism campaign for our clients Awake Travel and USAID, and where our team has spotted giant otters on several occasions. Although the otters are not common, they tend to follow similar daily feeding routes, so our local guide contacts can usually locate families in their favored creeks or lakes. One such guide is even a master imitator of the otters signature vocalizations, which is an excellent way of attracting the family closer to shore for breathtaking footage.

A curious pair of Giant Otters at Altagracia Reserve in Casanare, Colombia.

Spectacled Bear

Also known as the Andean Bear, this high-altitude dwelling species is South America's only bear species. Technically, the Spectacled Bear is South America's largest land carnivore, although interestingly less than 5% of the species' diet consists of meat; they prefer to eat plants like bromeliads, cacti, and espeletia. As a habitually arboreal species, they forage for much of their diet in the trees, where they also retreat at the first sign of humans, making them a challenging species to see and film. However, conservation efforts in Colombia's Chingaza National Park – a high-altitude paramo ecosystem just outside of Bogota – have established a healthy population of these otherwise rare bears. They are being seen with increasing frequency in the park.

Our Colombian production company has extensive experience shooting in Chingaza and other paramo ecosystems, and we count highly-expert bear guides among our network of local contacts. These guides have studied the bear's movements and habits for years and are the best-placed people to facilitate a filming encounter with this iconic species.

Tamandua

Tamandua is a genus of the anteater family containing two species, the Northern and Southern Tamandua, both of which are found in Colombia. The southern species is the more readily seen of the two in Colombia, where it is relatively common in the Eastern Plains region. However, much like its giant anteater cousin, the Tamandua is shy, wary of humans, and primarily active at night, which can make it tricky to find and film. They also prefer to sleep in tree branches in dense forest.

Yet, with patience, a keen eye, and the aid of our experienced guide contacts, it's entirely possible to track down a Tamandua to film. In fact, our videographers have filmed Tamanduas on several different occasions at natural reserves like Altagracia and El Encanto de Guanapalo in the Casanare region. Our local fixers at these reserves are familiar with the feeding habits and preferred sleeping spots of these little anteaters and can generally locate one with a bit of hard work and dedication.

A Southern Tamandua at home in the Colombian grasslands.

Capybara

The world's largest rodent species is relatively widespread throughout eastern Colombia. However, as with many large mammal species on this list, they are most numerous in the Eastern Plains region, where they are straightforward to film. As a highly sociable animal, the capybara can be found in groups of up to 100 individuals, although family groups of 10-20 are more common. Since they have traditionally been hunted for their meat in the plains region, some capybaras are incredibly skittish and flee from humans.

Yet, at reserves like Hato La Aurora and El Encanto de Guanapalo, years of anti-poaching initiatives have left them exceedingly relaxed around humans. In fact, they will often approach within meters of people if you are quiet and avoid sudden movements. Although the capybara is common, they are incredibly characterful animals, with expressive faces and often humorous behaviors, making them a joy to film in the wild.

A large Capybara family group cooling off in a watering hole.

White-Tailed Deer

This medium-sized deer is found throughout the Americas and is common in parts of the Colombian Andes, Caribbean, and Plains region. There are several subspecies, at least three of which can be filmed in Colombia. The most accessible places to film White-tailed Deer are Chingaza National Park near Bogota, where they are somewhat habituated to humans and will often approach within just a few feet; and the Eastern Plains, where they are often seen in pairs and loose family groups, grazing on the open savannah. The stags, with their large antlers, are the real prize to capture on film, but the young deer are also beautiful, with attractive reddish coloration and small white spots.

Our Colombian production company has filmed these deer in both the Andes and Plains regions for several of our natural history productions with clients, including Columbia Sportswear and Awake Travel.

White-tailed Deer in Chingaza National Park, Colombia.

Amazon River Dolphin

Perhaps the strangest species on this list is one of the most unusual and mythologized species in all of South America: the Amazon River Dolphin, colloquially known as the Pink Dolphin or Boto, is a species of freshwater dolphin found in the Amazon and Orinoco River basins in eastern Colombia. Their large melon-shaped head (used for biosonar in the murky waters of the Amazon) and elongated beak give them an unusual appearance, and the iconic pink coloration (most prominent in adult males) makes for a visually surreal contrast with the muted greens and browns of their jungle habitat.

Amazon River Dolphins are often inquisitive and even quite playful with humans, and there are several locations where you can swim with them. They will sometimes even approach within touching distance. Tarapoto Lake in the southern Amazonas region is one such location, as is Damas del Nare Lake in the more central region of Guaviare. Our Colombian production company fixers have local contacts throughout the Amazon region and can easily help arrange a boat trip to film these unique and curious creatures.

An Amazon River Dolphin in the Orinoco River on the border of Colombia and Venezuela in Vichada department.

Mountain Tapir

The Mountain Tapir, also known as the Andean or Woolly Tapir, is the smallest of the four tapir species found in South America. Interestingly, its scientific name of Tapirus pinchaque derives from a mythical beast known as La Pinchaque, which was said to inhabit the same mountainous regions where this species is typically found. The Mountain Tapir lives up to its name and is only found between 2,000-4,300m in Colombian paramo moorlands and cloud forests. They also tend to move between these different ecosystems depending on the season: in the wet season, they are generally found in Andean forest, while during the dry season, they move higher up to the paramos, supposedly to avoid biting insects.

As with all tapir species, the Mountain Tapir is predominantly crepuscular, but it seems to be more active during the day than the other three tapir species. Although it can be shy and retiring like most large South American mammals, some individuals are highly curious and have been known to approach humans within touching distance. They are most commonly spotted in the paramos in the dry season, where their large size and the lack of dense vegetation can make them more conspicuous. Otun Quimbaya Reserve in the Central Andes of the Colombian Coffee Region is an especially good place to film the Mountain Tapir.

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