Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: The elusive jaguar is the largest cat of the Americas and yet seldom seen in the wild. Their beautiful spotted coats provide near perfect camouflage in the lush forests and grasslands that blanket the pantanal region of Brazil.
Welcome to in search of jaguars, a journey through the pantanal. I'm Brooke, host of Rewildology, and in August 2023, I set off on a long awaited quest to catch sight of a jaguar roaming free in this wildlife paradise.
Over the next four episodes, you'll travel along on my journey into the heart of the magnificent pontanal. Together, we'll explore sweeping grasslands, meandering waterways and pockets of lush jungle that make up distinct habitats within this biodiversity hotspot, from curious otters to lumbering giant ant eaters, we'll encounter some of earth's most fascinating animal species, who call this watery world home.
Everybody look to the left of his face as tall.
[00:01:14] Speaker B: There's a cayman there.
[00:01:15] Speaker A: I'll be speaking with local biologists and conservationists, working tirelessly within the panzana to protect this vital region. They'll share their in depth knowledge about the history of conservation in the pontanal, the power of ecotourism for the region, everything we currently know about the pontanal's jaguars, ocelot research in the south and the looming threats from fires, climate change and deforestation.
We'll learn what is being done on the ground to safeguard the future of this critical landscape and the magnificent cats who reign over it.
[00:01:53] Speaker B: I think in many places in the world, not just in Pantanao, is one of the ways to conserve, to preserve nature is showing how beautiful it is.
[00:02:03] Speaker A: So venture with me on this auditory expedition through the Pantanao to explore the region's wild wonders and meet its protectors in this four part series on rewildology.
I landed in Sao Paulo on a Friday morning. Finally, I had made it to Brazil. Being a conservation biologist and totally obsessed with big cats, I was beyond excited and admittedly a little intimidated to finally see a jaguar in the wild. The nervous stomach cramps didn't come from adventuring in a new country. I had visited wild areas around the world many times and in conditions way less luxurious. But this expedition was different. For the first time, I was leading a group of paying clients from the wild source to explore the pantanal, a new destination. Guests with high expectations.
Oh, excuse me. While I run to the bathroom for my 10th nervous piece and heading to the airport. Oh, gosh.
My driver was Marcio, a tall, middle aged Brazilian with dark hair and an infectious smile. From the moment we left the airport, I could tell Brazil was pretty wealthy on the global scale. The high waves were paved, the car surrounding me were in decent shape, and I could see an impressive skyline in the distance. As we drove through thick traffic, Marcio told me about his life in the city of Sao Paulo.
I learned that Sao Paulo was the most populated city in Brazil, with a total population of around 21 million people in the entire metropolitan area.
It's also known as being a safe haven for the LGBTQ community and boasts one of the biggest pride parades in the world.
About halfway through our drive, Marcio rolled up our windows and drove quickly through various parts of the city. He explained that crime, drug addiction, and homelessness had skyrocketed since COVID and he didn't want to put our safety at risk. Tents lined the streets, graffiti cover buildings. But as we approached my hotel, the scenery drastically changed, seemingly out of nowhere, and suddenly we were in a booming metropolis. I saw men in suits and women in dress skirts, patios full of patrons enjoying meals, and tourists walking from mall to mall.
After an hour of driving, we made it to my hotel. My early morning arrival meant I couldn't get into my room until several hours later, a woman was waiting for me in the lounge of the hotel's main lobby. Even though we had never met in person, I knew she was Chris, my local contact that I had been communicating with every week for the past year. Chris was my height and shape, with her brown hair shaped on the right side of her head, adding to her edgy, fun look. She wore a flowing shawl over a black tank top and shorts. This was Chris's city, and she met me to show me the town.
After changing out of my sweaty travel clothes, Chris and I hit the streets. The day was unseasonably hot, and we decided to do what most of us do when we start a grand adventure, find a spot for a celebratory beer. Chris took me to one of her favorite pubs on Palista Avenue for Estella Artois, and then we had lunch at a fantastic buffet style spot that had rows and rows of brazilian delicacies.
Once we had our fill of the city, Chris dropped me back off at my hotel, both of us full of excitement for the days to come.
That evening, I finally took a shower to wash off two days of travel and sat down to review my panzanal notes.
The panzanal is the world's largest wetland and a whopping 58,000 sq. Mi in size, or 37,120,000 acres constituting 3% of the globe's wetlands 20 everglades could fit within the pentanose borders for Gondex crazy.
From north to south, the wetland extends for 375 miles, or 600 km, along the Paraguay river basin. This south american wetland spans across three countries, Brazil, Bolivia, and Paraguay, with around 80% of the ecosystem residing in Brazil.
The panzanal is incredibly diverse, with twelve subregional ecosystems defined within the biome. The wetland receives its waters from the Planalto highlands through the Peraguai river and its tributaries. The Planalto highlands are within a greater eco region called the Saharo, which happens to be the most biodiverse tropical savannah in the world and lies to the east of the wetland. The dry forests border the Panzanao to the west and northwest, and Humachaco to the south and the Arachaco dry forest to the southwest. The biome experiences dramatic changes in water levels, rising by two to 5 meters, or 16ft in the rainy season, making most of the area inaccessible. When submerged in the rainy season, the region receives up to 1320 mm, or 52 inches of rainfall. 52 inches? That's crazy of rainfall per year. The abundance of sunshine, water, and vegetation attracts and supports an incredible array of life. Around 3500 plant species, 656 bird species, 325 fish species, 159 mammals, 53 amphibians, and 98 reptile species all call the region home, including the stars of this series, jaguars, Cayman capibara, giant otters and ocelots.
Since there are almost no roads into the pontanal, the wetland is a mostly pristine wild habitat. However, as you'll soon hear, and as I'd see firsthand, conservation in the pantana is a complex topic. With 95% of the biome being privately owned. Preserving this region is both a challenge and an opportunity for all stakeholders. With my notes reviewed and my glass of argentinian wine finished, I headed to bed, knowing that tomorrow my guests would arrive and the expedition would officially begin.
In the rest of the series, you'll hear from three conservationists. Fred Crema, our expedition leader tourism has.
[00:09:18] Speaker B: A very positive impact so far in Pantanal, and it's growing like the jaguar. Observation is amazing.
[00:09:25] Speaker A: Abby Martin, founder of the jaguar Id project I saw an opportunity to use the jaguar as a tool to bring more awareness to Pontanal and anjique. Vias concone, ocelot and carnivore conservation expert.
[00:09:41] Speaker B: This forest, this is kind of ocelot prime habitat, a little bit disturbed, but it's.
[00:09:49] Speaker A: In the next episode, we'll set sail down the Paraguay river and its tributaries, encountering incredible wildlife along the way, including jaguars, giant otters, keemans and countless birds.
