Alexander is spending Christmas on Barro Colorado Island in Panama, part of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. The island is quiet for the holiday: only him, a handful of guardabosques (“Forest Guards”, similar to game wardens, that help maintain and protect the Barro Colorado National Monument), and a few cooks. They had a special lunch, featuring a potato salad made with beets, that is a common festive treat in Panama, and fruit cake traditionally made with rum. During his hike this afternoon, he heard a collared peccary (Tayassu tujacu) and decided to follow it. It took an hour and a half to sneak close enough for a good photo, but he got a few!

[Photos and caption by Alexander Vining]