The Pantanal wet lands - Embracing Nature Conservation

Considered the most extensive floodplain and inland wet land in the world the Pantanal, located in the upper Paraguayan river basin, covers an area of approximately 150,000 km² with most of it in the Brazilian states of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul, bordering Bolivia and the Chaco region of Paraguay to the west and south-west. This flat area is regularly flooded during the November to April rainy season, when heavy rains account for 1200-1500 mm/year. In April of 1988, 100,000 km2 were up to 6.64m under water causing dead of cattle by the thousand. The outflow of the floodwaters occurs in a north-south direction, through the Rio Paraguay, only very slowly and takes up to three months.

Although the height variations of the terrain are with 80 - 150 cm very small, the slightly higher areas are refuges for many animal species during the floods. The Pantanal deserves special attention for its diversity in wild life, which is exceptional on the American continent. The combination of savannah-like grass and scrubland and various types of bush land and forest (evergreen, semi-evergreen, gallery forest, etc.) is one of the reasons or the highest concentration of wildlife on the continent. The avifauna is represented with 650 species and therefore also a paradise for birdwatchers.

Although parts of the species-rich wet biotope was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2000, the Pantanal is endangered by bush fires, caused by increasingly extreme dry periods, additional slash-and-burn and agricultural and cattle breeding activities. It is gratifying to know however that within the framework of sustainable tourism, it was possible to achieve the conservation of many even endangered animal species. For example, local ranchers stopped hunting jaguars when they saw their potential for tourism. The nearly extinct big cat has since spread successfully again. Today, the big cats are hunted only photographers and film teams. During your stay on our Fazenda our guest have the unique opportunity to witness two species protection projects, for giant armadillo, Priodontes maximus, and tapir, Tapirus terrestres.

The Pantanal
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Private Tour - Private Jaguar Photo Safari

Private Jaguar Photo Safari

Close encounters with the third largest feline on the planet, wildlife observations and photographic safaris.

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