Follow a magnificent female jaguar as she hunts along riverbanks in Brazil's Pantanal wetlands. This female has cubs to feed and caiman, capybara and even snakes are on the menu. Also enjoy more the secretive tapir, giant river otters and breathtaking Pantanal bird life as I take a boat safari through this breathtaking landscape.
The Pantanal is one of the world's most diverse and abundant wetlands, covering 195,000 km². Located primarily in Brazil it also crosses into into Bolivia and Paraguay. Recently the region has suffered devastating fires, but the jaguar population is surviving by hunting for caiman along the riverbanks.
Jaguar
This vast wetland hosts the highest density of jaguars in the world and they can be seen hunting during the day from the river banks. Watch as I follow a female jaguar nicknamed Patricia, and her two cubs as they search for food in this incredible landscape. It's not long before the female jaguar leaps to catch a false water cobra and carry it off with her cubs to eat. Even my Pantanal Safaris guide has never seen a snake hunt like this.
Tapir
As we motor along one of the many river tributaries that spread through the Pantanal marshes, we spot one of the most secretive animals of the region: a tapir. Watch this curious, floppy nosed creature as it tentatively makes its way through the thick riverside vegetation.
River otters
And then we are treated to another incredible wildlife sighting. Giant river otters live in family groups and are skilled hunters feeding on fish and other aquatic creatures. Listen to the 'laughing'. taunting sounds they make when they spot the hunting jaguar. Watch as Patricia the jaguar eventually catches a cayman, leaping high into the water before pouncing onto her prey, and then see her scrambling up the river bank as she drags her catch off into the bushes to eat it. Capybaras In addition to jaguars, the Pantanal is host to a diverse range of animals and birds. Watch as I also spot capybaras, the world's largest rodent, on my Pantanal Safaris tour. Pantanal birds The Pantanal also boasts an incredible diversity of birds, with over 650 recorded species. From hyacinth macaws, jabiru and anhinga to large-billed terns and neotropic cormorants, this is a bird-watchers paradise.
