Trip of the week: wildlife spotting in the wetlands of Brazil
The Pantanal wetland is home to a dazzling array of wildlife and the best place on Earth to see jaguars
Spread across an area the size of Great Britain, the Pantanal, in southwest Brazil, is the world’s largest tropical wetland. It is the best place on Earth to see jaguars, and home to a dazzling array of other wildlife too, says Lisa Grainger in The Times. Go in the dry season, between April and October; you can fly to the city of Campo Grande, and from there get a prop plane to one of the region’s excellent lodges. Among them is Casa Caiman, a terracotta-tiled estancia with a swimming pool. Set in a privately-owned 74,000 acre ecological reserve, it plays host to Onçafari, a wildlife organisation devoted to jaguar preservation and research.
Seeing a jaguar in the wild is “more thrilling” than spotting a lion in Africa, because the cats are so elusive. Unlike lions, they live alone, and, with only about 15,000 left in the wild – fewer than were killed annually in the 1960s for their fur – they are wary of humans. Even so, the number of sightings each year at Casa Caiman has increased from 35 to 1,075 in the past decade, and 99% of visitors now spot one. Not that the cats’ future is secure even here. Both water and forest cover are dwindling because of farming – and the diversion of rivers for large-scale soy farms to the north. “If soy farms come to the Pantanal – which is currently the big threat – it will be game over,” says Roberto Klabin, the reserve’s owner.
For now, though, there’s something to see wherever you go on the reserve. Guests strike out on horseback, on foot, and in jeeps, and always in the company of naturalist guides. Among the stars of the show are pumas, “prehistoric-looking” armadillos and long-haired giant anteaters – along with 120 other mammal species – and the birdlife is still more spectacular, ranging from ostrich-like rheas to great flocks of “luminous blue” hyacinth macaws.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Specialist tour operators include Joro Experiences (joroexperiences.com), Dehouche (dehouche.com) and Plan South America (plansouthamerica.com)
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
'Will growth slow, or is the economy about to fall off a cliff?'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
Senate passes FAA bill with new consumer protections
Speed Read The legislation will require airlines to refund customers for flight delays
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump pledged pro-oil policy to CEOs, asked for $1B
Speed Read The former president promised to reverse Biden's environmental regulations if elected
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Expressionists: a 'rousing' exhibition at the Tate Modern
The Week Recommends Show mixes 'ferociously glowing masterpieces' from Kandinsky with less well-known artwork
By The Week UK Published
-
The Buddha of Suburbia: an 'orgiastic odyssey'
The Week Recommends Emma Rice brings Hanif Kureishi's 1990 novel to the stage
By The Week UK Published
-
6 stylish homes in Portland, Oregon
Feature Featuring a wall of windows in Collins View and a historic ballroom in Portland Heights
By The Week US Published
-
Tom Crewe's 6 favorite works that challenge societal norms
Feature The novelist recommends works by Margaret Oliphant, Patrick White, and more
By The Week US Published
-
On the trail of India's wild lions at Sasan Gir National Park
The Week Recommends The sanctuary is a 'roaring' conservation success
By The Week UK Published
-
Recipe: almond marmalade cake
The Week Recommends This syrupy cake can be toasted for brunch
By The Week UK Published
-
Venice Biennale 2024: from the good to the bad to the downright 'bizarre'
The Week Recommends Central exhibition features the work of some 330 artists
By The Week UK Published
-
Sunset Song: gripping theatre that's 'close to magic'
The Week Recommends Morna Young's 'first-class adaptation' of Lewis Grassic Gibbon's classic novel
By The Week UK Published