ON THE TRAIL STUDYING SECRETIVE ANIMALS GIANT ARMADILLOS IN THE WILD by Joyce Markovics
A BIG FIND It was nighttime in the Pantanal pan-TEH-nal a huge wetland in South America Bugs chirped loudly under the glowing stars Field biologist Arnaud Desbiez crouched next to a video screen watching and waiting He was hoping to catch a glimpse of one of the rarest animals in the world the giant armadillo LOOK CLOSER The Pantanal is the biggest freshwater wetland in the world It covers 80,000 square miles 207,199 square kilometers including parts of Brazil Paraguay and Bolivia It’s about the same size as the state of Kansas 4
After 10 years of living and working in the Pantanal Arnaud had yet to spot one It was a species I really wanted to see he says Suddenly Arnaud saw movement on the screen which was connected to a special camera set up near a giant armadillo’s burrow Then as if out of a dream Arnaud saw the huge armored animal It had claws the size of kitchen knives Seeing the creature Arnaud says was amazing This picture of a giant armadillo was taken at night with Arnaud’s special camera Field biologist Arnaud Desbiez tracking giant armadillos 5
