19 Sept 2024
I met a wonderful Danish couple, Ingrid and Gunner, while cruising the Rio Negro. Second day here in Pantanal, I did a double take as they were sitting at the table next to me. We arranged to meet at our next destination. Their email informs me they have already seen 3 jaguars there. BIG OKAY! I leave after breakfast for Porto Jofre.
Porto Jofre sits alongside the Cuiabá River at the end of the Transpantaneira Road. Road is stretching the definition by a lot. Out the gates of Pousada Puival, we turn left onto a dirt and gravel path. It is a wide path, pure dirt and dust and does not improve until the end of the Transpantaneira some 90 miles distant. The dust path is broken only by countless one lane bridges that consist of crossbeams with three thin planks for car tires.
At times, a hotshot zooms past kicking up all-consuming clouds of blinding dust. Luckily there is very little traffic as drivers are blinded to any oncoming cars or trucks. Copious amounts of fine dust clogs my nose as does the ever-present smoke. I am beginning to think all Brasil is burning.
Along the drive, other than dust, I view more of the interior of Brasil. Once rain comes, all this land will be under water for as far as one can see. Now, with no rain for months, the landscape reminds me of African savannah. Clearly, this is not the Everglades, at least not in the dry season.
Along my dusty ride, I begin to see wildlife. Occasionally, under the rickety, one lane bridges, I see birds, caiman, and an occasional coati. Small wild boar cross the road.
On the Cuiabá River
The Cuiabá River comes from the watershed of the Amazon regions to the north and the Paraguay River. This vital water system flows for over 300 miles south-southwest, tumbling and putting on a fantastic show at Iguaçu Falls before eventually joining the Saõ Lourenço River and Cuiabá River. This water continues across the Paraguay floodplain to create the boundary between Mato Grosso and the state of Mato Grosso do Sol before emptying into the Pacific Ocean.
That humidity I hated so much when in Amazonas is essential for the distribution of rainfall here. The phenomenon of Flying Rivers of moisture originates in the tropical areas of the Atlantic Ocean and is fed by the humidity that evaporates from the Amazon Rainforest. It subsequently fills the rivers on the Pantanal. Disruption of this system is causing serious drought, fires are ravaging the south, and all these affects are seen daily on these rivers.
While the river’s current width is only about 150′ and shallow, in the wet season it will rise several feet to overflow its banks and flood the land for miles causing all land-based animals, and great herds of cattle, to move into the midlands. Everything else belongs to the wildlife of the Pantanal.
Drought conditions, burning forests, and below-average rainfall has led to a crisis in much of Brasil. One glimmer of hope is that in 2022, the State of Mato Grosso passed a law that prohibits the construction of dams along the entire length of the Cuiabá River. This is a victory for the people and the jaguars who depend on the Cuiabá. A ban on building 6 hydroelectric plants will preserve the Cuiabá, making it a free-flowing river and hopefully avoiding irreversible disaster to its flora and fauna.
Porto Jofre – further south into the Pantanal
Change of plans. Be flexible. Low water on Rio Claro River? Let’s drive further south to Porto Jofre.
Okay. Surprise, different hotel, too. The Santa Rosa represents bare-bones; looking for a plug other than in the bathroom. Why are there 3 singles and a double bed in the room? Not much of a lodging but at least there is WiFi and jaguars nearby. Okay, be flexible.
Wildlife and boat rides
I meet my guide, Roger. It appears a flexible routine here. Breakfast, bring sunscreen, water, something with sleeves, walk to the rustic pier and climb in the boat. Sapo is my boat jockey and immediately upon leaving the pier he and his boat have “a need for speed.” We zoom out onto the wide Cuiabá River and speed upstream.
The river is brown with sediment, shallow in most sections but with a fairly fast current as it travels south easterly. This ecosystem is vital to the people and animals of the Pantanal. Between serious drought conditions and persistent fires, the Pantanal, and Brasil, faces a danger of environmental collapse. To be here, in the middle of this river, surrounded by so much unique wildlife, is to gain an appreciation for the danger we all face from global warming.
Wildlife rests along both shores and decorate the trees of the Pantanal. The terrain is flat and open. The trees and scrub grasses and low riverside bushes provide cover and shade for the wildlife but don’t seriously impede views like the dense jungles of the Amazon.
From the lodge it takes about 35 minutes to reach Porto Três Irmãos (Three Brothers River). I am informed that it is the best area in the world to spot the illusive jaguar. My expectations are met as the first sighting of this big cat occurs within minutes.
Jaguars of the Pantanal
Jaguars are solitary, muscular cats, the third-largest in the world after tigers and lions. Males typically weigh between 250 to 300 lbs while females are slightly smaller and may weigh about 150 lbs. Their bodies are stocky and compact, with a large head, short legs, and a thick neck. Their fur is golden-yellow to reddish-brown, marked with distinctive black rosettes.
This pattern, especially on their forehead, is unique to each cat, similar to our fingerprints. Jaguars have a more robust rosette pattern compared to leopards, with larger, more open spaces between their spots. Their eyes are generally yellow or amber, with a piercing, hungry and confident gaze. They obviously know they are the apex predators.
The Jaguar Identification Project continues to document, track, and name the jaguars of the Pantanal. They publish a downloadable Jaguar Field Guide which is excellent in explaining jaguar relationships, behavior, ecology, and movements.
Jaguar Field Guide updated yearly by Jaguar ID Project can be downloaded. Cost is $5.
Also on the river is a film production company which is producing the documentary March of the Jaguars, a sequel to the 2005 award-winning March of the Penguins.
Jaguars don’t share. They each each their own territory, which can encompass several square miles, and they jealously guard it against intruders. The young stay with their mother for two years, but eventually they find their own territory.
Known as solitary and nocturnal hunters, their powerful jaws are particularly adapted for crushing bones. Known for their ability to climb trees, swim, and silently stalk their prey, jaguars aren’t afraid to take on anything from deer to caimans. And even the unwary, foolish tourist?
Wildlife Spotting Day One
My first afternoon on the rivers I spot a plethora of bird species, caimans, capybaras, a hint of three baby river otters rushing for their den, and 4 jaguars.
Along the rivers edge, my guide Roger points out a beautiful jaguar who is sleeping in the foliage beside the water. A few minutes later, another is spotted beneath some tree branches along the edge of the river. It is currently hot outside and the jaguars wisely choose to rest during the heat of the day. Both momentarily pick up their heads to take note of us humans out on the water with cameras pointed in their direction. Bored, they go back to sleep.
Another young jaguar is spotted swimming across the river. She is unbothered by our presence as she climbs onto the shore. She is identified as Tupã, the daughter of Axa. She was first spotted in 2023. We note Tupã’s broken tail.
Meeting Ti
Tho efforts are made to document every jaguar that is seen in the Pantanal, it is undetermined how many actually live here. A jaguar could be in the forest for years before being spotted and identified for the first time. It is thought their numbers range somewhere around 80. Let’s say that every foot of this ecosystem is claimed by a jaguar whether you see the cat or not.
Atop the riverbank lies Ti. Pronounced “Tee.” She is named after a local Pantanal tribe and has been observed every year since 2015.
Ti, from the Jaguar Identification Project.
Ti has had several relationships and has mothered several cubs during her lifetime. She is recognized by her unique forehead pattern, but also has a slight scar on the middle of her nose.
Returning to the lodge, it is time for a cool shower and even colder Brahma cerveja to celebrate a 4-jaguar day. I missed seeing the Giant Otters, if I don’t count the three pups, but tomorrow is another day filled with wildlife opportunities.
