On the 3rd of December every year, World Coati Day is celebrated to promote awareness and conservation of coatimundi.
Coatimundi are mammals found in North, Central and South America. Their closest relative is the racoon. They live in bands of up to 30, although adult males usually live alone. They are arboreal, meaning that they live in trees. Their long noses are used to find food under rocks and in crevices.
These creatures are at risk due to human development, and they are also hunted for meat. There are four species of coati, all of which have declining populations. The Eastern Mountain Coati is an endangered species.
I knew nothing about the coati until my daughter sent me a photo she had taken up close with one coming down a tree while she was in Guatemala. It was alone so I assume it was male.
There are very few picture books that feature this animal available for an Australian audience and what there is is very expensive. We have this amusing one:
A coatimundi and a capybara are stuck in a book with no plot, wishing they had a title, a better author, and a better illustrator, and hoping something exciting will happen.
These are others:
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