Jaguars Galore & So Much More

Rewind 14 hours and we were up at the crack of dawn, full of anticipation for what lay ahead. After a spot of birding and capybara photography around SouthWild Pantanal Lodge, we boarded our open-sided safari truck and headed south down the Transpantaneira to Porto Jofre. Travelling towards the end of the dry season, a truly ridiculous number of yacare caiman lined the drying pools as we drove past, jostling for position with egrets, herons and jabirus. Whilst we thoroughly enjoyed the brocket deer, crabeating foxes, black-tailed marmosets and hyacinth macaws that vied for our attention, we really had only one thing on our minds.

Next, the exhilaration of river travel as we powered along the mighty Cuiaba River en route to the ‘jaguar zone’ was short-lived as a fisherman gestured towards the bank literally about seven or eight minutes into our journey. The engine was cut and we turned towards the bank; our eyes were on stalks. Surely not? Could it be? Scouring the bank with fervour, I couldn’t believe our luck when Michael, our guide, exclaimed, ‘jaguar!’ As she came into focus, her beautiful, whiskered face peered out of the dense foliage above us, before she slowly moved back into the undergrowth. A few metres further on was an opening, and our prayers were answered when she emerged, stretched and then made her way slowly down the sandbank towards us. A sit down, a spot of preening, a little lie down. I was, for once, lost for words. She was magnificent. Perhaps 10 or 15 minutes passed before she sauntered off, having given us a monster first sighting that we were fortunate enough to have to ourselves. Little did we know that this was only the start!

After checking in to our accommodation (the small, simple and spotless Jaguar Retreat) 45 kilometres upriver, we enjoyed fresh fried fish and salad before heading back out on the river. Immediately, I was utterly captivated by capybara, their endearing young stealing our hearts with every sighting.

Rounding a bend in the river we saw a cluster of boats and realised a jaguar was swimming along the bank close to them … and she wasn’t alone. A six-month-old cub was following her along the banks and over the sandbars, taking us to photographic heaven. Next came a lone male jaguar, and then our first giant river otters squabbling over an eel. The sun glowed orange as we made our way back to the lodge for a fresh caipirinha and dinner. Stumbling across yet another female jaguar en route, this time with two cubs, took our Day One total to seven jags. Incredible! And then, of course, there were the fireflies – an absolutely perfect end to an absolutely perfect day.

What unfolded over the next few days continues to leave me in awe – watching jaguar catching caiman, caiman catching anaconda, swimming tapir, otter acrobatics and the most wonderfully vibrant birdlife. Tearing ourselves away to travel back up the Transpantaneira, we thought we’d left the ‘jaguar zone’ behind us, but not so. Pug marks lined the road and we soon learned that two jaguars had been spotted early that morning in the car park at SouthWild Pantanal Lodge. Upon arrival at our next lodge, Pouso Alegre, tracks of another kind were visible after an unexpected downpour – those of giant anteater. The animal in question paid us a visit that evening, sniffing its way around the gardens and filling us with delight.

The beauty of a stay at Pouso Alegre is that it offers the potential to stretch your legs over the well-marked trails that criss-cross the grounds. Here we enjoyed excellent birding as well as seeing agouti, coati and marsh deer. A sundowner waterhole often attracts tapir, and we were lucky enough to see tayra on more than one occasion.

So how do you sum up a trip like this? You don’t. You just grin!

Join us in Brazil and experience the incredible Wildlife of the Pantanal for yourself! For more information or to book, contact the Wildlife team.