I was on a mission to photograph a giant anteater so I headed to Brazil's Pantanal region, rumored to still have a fair sized population of these prehistoric looking beasts. Like the moose, the anteater seems to have been designed by a committee that disagreed a lot. They shuffle around savanna and grassland, sniffing for ants and termites with their pointed probosces. When the underground morsels are detected, a couple of heaving swipes at the earth with a massive forepaw puts the dagger-like tongue in business.

Anteaters have poor vision but a keen sense of smell. I approached cautiously, to within a few feet of this beast, looking for signs of distress. There were none. He obviously knew I was nearby but didn't see me as a threat. He ate ants and I took pictures. Nevertheless, considering his bear-like front claws, I made sure to keep safely out of reach. One swat to the midsection and my guts would spill onto the pampas. Even the mighty jaguar, topcat in these parts, gives the adult anteater a wide berth.