Jaguars and more!

This tour offers an intense opportunity to enjoy some of the most spectacular wildlife in Brazil, South America. As for seeing Jaguar, there is no doubt that the Pantanal is the best place in the world for observing this big cat.

Be prepared to the party when it comes to the Pantanal

Talking about the largest floodplain in the world, in the west part of Brazil, it is here that life explodes in natural colors: beautiful forests, rivers and lakes with abundant and wild fauna. Pantanal wildlife immerse you to the best that the interior of a tropical country can provide. While jaguars in general are known to be solitary and territorial, in the Pantanal, jaguars are not simply be seen in the flash of an eye but observed for periods of time as they go about their days.

Apart from the visibility aspect of the region’s vast low-lying plains, the main reason jaguars are easier to spot in the Pantanal compared to other parts of the world, is the abundance of prey as, with millions of caiman and capybara, the region is almost an all-you-can-eat buffet for such a formidable predator. The abundance of caiman and capybara in the Pantanal is such that it sustains the highest known density of jaguars: approx. 30 jaguars per 100 square miles or an estimated 12-13 animals per 100 square kilometers. The abundancy of prey also results in having smaller, overlapping home ranges than jaguars elsewhere. Instead to compete for food, they live together and show behaviors that are unusual for the species.

Besides the Jaguar, the following high quality species make the trip undoubtedly well worth a visit: Ocelot, Brazilian Tapir, Pink-river Dolphin, Neotropical Otter and Giant Anteater. Not forgetting, of course, the commoner species such as Marsh Deer, Brocket Deer, Three-toed Sloth, Red Howler Monkey, Capybara, Coati, Peccary, Nine-banded Armadillo and Spectacled Caiman.

Although in the main a mammal watching trip, many bird species can been seen too – 270 species has been recorded. To name a few: Jabiru, Hyacint Macaw, King Vulture, Roseate Spoonbill, Toco Toucan, Sunbittern, Sungrebe, Agami Heron, Plumbeous Ibis, Southern Screamer, Savanna Hawk and Large-billed Tern.

Logistics

A personal vehicle will be at our disposal for land base travel once on site since we visit some lodges on the Transpantaneira; the world famous 110 kilometer long dirt road that runs straight through the Pantanal. In the Pantanal itself, a hotel boat serves as a base camp from which we, with small speedboats, quickly and comfortably explore the vast swamp area in search of wildlife.