The Pantanal
is a paradise for wildlife watchers and photographers. Its open vegetation
offers easy possibilities to come eye to eye with caimans, monkeys and even anacondas.
As many as 230 species of fishes, 650 species of birds, 80 species of mammals
and 50 species of reptiles have already been identified: the biggest concentration
of wildlife in the Americas. It is also an important migrating route for a large
number of bird species.
The Pantanal (swamplands in Portuguese)
is the largest flooding area in the world. It lies in Central West Brazil and
has an extension of 250 thousand km2 (about the size Portugal!) and extends into
the border regions of Bolivia and Paraguay. It is a large internal delta, where
the waters of the Paraguay River and a large number of rivers that descend from
the highlands, accumulate. It is delimited by the Brazilian Highlands to the east,
the Mato Grosso Plains to the north, and a chain of hills and highlands on the
bottom of the Andes, to the west.
The Paraguay and other swamp rivers have small declivity, in the order of 20-30
cm per kilometre, which causes the waters that accumulate during the intense rainfalls
to drain away very slowly. Consequently, huge areas are flooded during the rainy
season (May-Sept).
|
|
The Pantanal's biological diversity is based on this
inundation system. The rich fauna of birds and mammals depends, in the great majority,
on aquatic food. The aquatic vegetation is fundamental to "Pantanal's"
life. The floating plants are the major primary producers in the waters of "Pantanal".
Huge areas are covered by floating plants. Taken by the rivers, these plants form
real floating islands, the "camalotes".
The annual cycle which creates this unique environment starts with the summer
rains between mid November and March, leading to the flooding of the Paraguai
and Cuiabá rivers. The resulting swallow waters are ideal spawning grounds
for fish. Fish and reptiles are dispersed over the area and other animals stick
to dry areas (camps and cordilleras). During this time, the means of transportation
are horses, tractors and boats.
In the
dry season the water lowers, the plain shows its face and the rivers come back
to their original form, many lagoons appear that may end up dry. The fish are
trapped in the lakes formed by the receding waters and the area becomes home for
a vast number of birds and other animals. This is the best period for wildlife
spotting, as animals flock together close to the remaining lakes and rivers to
feed upon the different species of plants and fish.
Birds are one of "Pantanal's" main attractions. Joined in huge concentrations,
they explore aquatic food resources. The "tuiuiú", the "cabeça
seca" and the "coleteiro", besides cormorants, herons and ducks,
are the most eye catching. Other typical birds of the Pantanal include the blue
macaw, parakeets, toucans, hawks, kingfishers, emu's (South-American ostrich),
Ibis' and woodpeckers.
Many species nest in common areas, on determined trees, known as "ninhais"
(groups of nests), which stand out in the landscape. An admirable spectacle is
to follow the birds, at nightfall or at dawn, to their dormitories on the riverside
where they spend the nights.
One of the Pantanal's most well known inhabitant
and certainly the easiest spotted is the Jacaré (the animal that inspired
our company to its name!). Jacaré is the Portuguese word for Caiman. Caimans
and alligators have a crucial role in the waters of the Pantanal, functioning
as predators "regulators" of the fauna of fish. Where there are many
alligators, few piranhas are found. When the alligators are decimated by the indiscriminate
hunting of the "coureiros" (hunters for the animal's skin), the agressive
piranha population increases, to the detriment of other fish species. They might
even be dangerous to human beings.
Another important aquatic and semi-terrestrial predator is the "sucuri"
(anaconda).
The Pantanal is a sanctuary for giant river otters (capivara), iguanas, jaguars,
wild pigs, tapirs, cougars, deer and anteaters. Different species of monkeys can
be found, among wich the capuchin monkey. The
open landscapes of the "Pantanal" facilitates the census done by air
of the populations of large vertebrates. It is estimated, for example, that there
are today 10 million alligators and caimans, 600 thousand capybaras and only 35
thousand pantanal deers.
Altough the Pantanal doesn't house as rich an endemic fauna as the Amazon, it
is without doubt a better place in Brazil to see wildlife. The Amazon may have
all the fame and glory, and its thick forests boosting in animal life but due
to the dense vegetation animals are sometimes difficult to spot. The Pantanal's
flat terrain, the absence of dense foliage and the huge quantities of animals
makes it an ideal place for close wildlife encounters and excellent photo opportunities!
The Pantanal can be reached either by Corumba,
Campo Grande or Cuiaba,
all three connected by domestic flights with Brazil's main big cities.
Combine your trip to the Pantanal with by 'hands-on' community development work in Brazil.Hands up Holidays
