I'm back on an amazing journey to southern Brazil in the wildlife rich region of the Pantanal. My main focus is the rare Jaguar. This beautiful cat is endangered in most of its historic range of Central and Northern South America. In the Pantanal jaguars still have a high density and a small stronghold. Here you find the largest anywhere in their range and they need this size in order to hunt their sizeable prey, which include Caiman (cousin to the American Alligator). Our goal is to see a few of these incredible cats in the next couple weeks.
We started out in 4x4 vehicles down dirt roads that made their way through large cattle ranching areas. Rancher / Jaguar conlicts are a direct threat to populations of this big cat. These first couple days gave us a glimpse of the vast terrain of the Pantanal's huge savanahs and the river systems snaking their way through it. We then transferred our gear to a 15 ft aluminum boat for the rest of our time on the river. It is along these river ways that wildlife concentrates and predators thrive, the main player in this area is the Jaguar.
We started out in 4x4 vehicles down dirt roads that made their way through large cattle ranching areas. Rancher / Jaguar conlicts are a direct threat to populations of this big cat. These first couple days gave us a glimpse of the vast terrain of the Pantanal's huge savanahs and the river systems snaking their way through it. We then transferred our gear to a 15 ft aluminum boat for the rest of our time on the river. It is along these river ways that wildlife concentrates and predators thrive, the main player in this area is the Jaguar.
Daily, our routine was simple... getting up at sunrise, gear up and go... returning at mid day when temperatures soared.... then out again to days end. As we moved into the heart of the Pantanal we encounter frequent sightings of Caiman. Here these timeless reptiles max out at 7-8 feet and are numerous in the waterways numbering in the tens of thousands.
At every bend in the river something new presented itself... Giant River Otters (reaching 6 ft plus) and very curious,
Capybaras (the largest rodent in the world getting to the size of an average dog),
Herons
Kingfishers
Hawks, etc.
Unfortunately for them, all these creatures are potential Jaguar food.
By the end of day two we were in the heart of the Pantanal. We were quickly notified by some locals that a big male Jaguar had made a kill on an Anaconda earlier in the day just up river. We immediately went to its location. With a little searching we found it resting in a dense patch of bushes just by the river, but not visible enough for any photos. Patiently we waited for hours in the hot sun (43 C / 110 F) hoping for some movement. As the sun set this big male made his way down to the river for a drink and a walk in the cool water. Amazing... our first Jag of the trip. He didn't stay around long, but gave us a taste of what the days ahead would bring.
By the end of day two we were in the heart of the Pantanal. We were quickly notified by some locals that a big male Jaguar had made a kill on an Anaconda earlier in the day just up river. We immediately went to its location. With a little searching we found it resting in a dense patch of bushes just by the river, but not visible enough for any photos. Patiently we waited for hours in the hot sun (43 C / 110 F) hoping for some movement. As the sun set this big male made his way down to the river for a drink and a walk in the cool water. Amazing... our first Jag of the trip. He didn't stay around long, but gave us a taste of what the days ahead would bring.
As light faded we approached our floating base camp, but the day was far from done. Our boat man spotted another Jag just down river resting on a sand bank at the waters edge. This was an even bigger male, approx. 300 lbs, noticeably larger than our first one. After a long day escaping the heat Jaguars will come out to the water to cool down. Our sighting again was brief, but spectacular.
We actually spotted one more male just before we called it a day. Just a little further down river another Jag was spotted. Night was upon us and photos were impossible, but it was great to see our third big cat of the day.
I didn't know what to expect coming in to this trip, but if the first couple days are any indication I'm going to need more photo storage. Wow.
Hope you enjoyed Part 1 from Southern Brazil. Part 2, 3 and 4 on the way.
Safe travels, Edward.
I didn't know what to expect coming in to this trip, but if the first couple days are any indication I'm going to need more photo storage. Wow.
Hope you enjoyed Part 1 from Southern Brazil. Part 2, 3 and 4 on the way.
Safe travels, Edward.
