Tour 2.1: Pantanal - Bush - Camping and Lodge SafariOn the jaguar's trail!6 days/5 nights from/to Cuiabá in groups of 2 and up, from June to November You will experience the adventure that is the Pantanal in its original form. This programme will progress according to the prevailing weather and seasonal conditions, as well as your level of physical fitness. Far from all the tourist routes you reach your bush camp and sleep in tents or hammocks. The food (which in parts you have to gather or catch yourself) is then prepared on the campfire – and you might even catch a glimpse of a jaguar! It is our goal to show you as much as we can of the pristine and untouched Pantanal.
Day 1 to Day 3 (2 nights): Cuiabá - Fazenda Rio ClarinhoPickup at the airport in Cuiabá by our travel guide (his name: Fisher Souza), followed by an approx. 110-km drive to Poconé on asphalted roads. Upon your arrival you will first enjoy lunch with a typical Brazilian family featuring typical native Matogrossensian cuisine (depending on arrival time). After lunch trip to a supermarket in Poconé to buy the most important fresh food and beverages for your bush camp tour (please buy sufficient supplies of water; food is included in the travel price, but beverages are not!). Afterwards drive to the first accommodations, the Fazenda Rio Clarinho, where you will spend two nights. You ride along the Transpantaneira and make several stops to watch wild animals. After arrival you set up camp near the former fazenda Rio Clarinho in the nearby gallery forest, directly by the river Clarinho. Dinner at the lodge; you can also use the bathroom here.
In case of an early arrival a horseback-riding tour will be included in our afternoon plans; one of the best ways to explore the Pantanal. After dinner you have the opportunity to go on a night safari to search for nocturnal animals. On request you can spend the night outdoors, in a hammock or tent. In the next morning sunrise tour at approx. 5:00 am. Experience the sunrise on the river Clarinho – along with the awakening of the animal world in the Pantanal (a unique natural spectacle which you certainly should not miss). After breakfast you will gain an initial overview of the diversity of the vegetation – as well as the world of birds and fauna. You then search for the nests of the Jabiru stork (June to September) and the blue-hyacinth macaw, along with other bird species. Near your camp there is a look-out tower (20 m high) from which you can enjoy a magnificent view over the Pantanal. Additional tours will be conducted near the fazenda (on horseback or by boat). After lunch you can rest in a hammock - and then try your luck at fishing. After lunch there will be another tour to track caimans and other nocturnal animals.
Day 3 to Day 5 (2 nights): Bush camp in the heart of the cerrado in pristine natureIn the morning it's time to pack your bags! This will be the last opportunity for the next few days to shower in a civilised fashion. After breakfast you ride to the end of the Transpantaneira, to Porto Jofre. You then set up your camp directly by Rio Cuiabá. After this we proceed even deeper into the cerrado, into pristine nature. Many animal species can be discovered here. By boat along the river system, you travel into the untouched natural landscape of the Pantanal to search for jaguars, tapirs, giant otters and other animals. Out of the food and beverages you have brought along you (along with your travel guide) will prepare the daily meals yourself; any fish you may have caught will be added to a splendid meal. Our specialist in the Pantanal will demonstrate and explain to you how to survive in the bush land – even having to do without a high level of comfort.You will take daily boat tours (several hours long) along the river Cuiabá and its tributaries – like the river Piquiri – to get to know a wide array of animal species. With a bit of luck you will even be able to see a jaguar (they are frequently found here). It is essential that you always follow your travel guide's instructions to avoid exposing yourself to undue hazards. Nightly safaris are conducted carrying flashlights and torches. Fishing trips will also be conducted to supplement our daily menu. You can wash up in the river; drinking water will be brought along.
Day 5 to Day 6 (1 night): bush camp - Pousada Pouso AlegreAfter your homemade breakfast, the tent and other gear will be stored - and you return to Porto Jofre by boat. By car you travel along the Transpantaneira to the Pousada Pouso Alegre. In the immediate vicinity of the fazenda there are many hyacinth macaws to be found; you can even hear them from a distance – you must only localise their calls in order to then spot them perched in the oil palm trees. This creates outstanding opportunities to watch and photograph these birds; later lunch at the lodge. After lunch there will be an extended horseback-riding tour (on which you will get to see numerous animals). With a good dose of luck you will discover the giant toucan, the nandu and the Jabiru stork, along with coati-mondis, raccoons, anteaters, capibaras and even large groups of caimans, which are frequently seen here. This fazenda is a definite must-see for nature aficionados and photographers. After dinner (also at the lodge), another night-time safari will be conducted.
Day 6: Pousada Pouso Alegre – CuiabáFirst, a sunrise tour, to experience the awakening of the animal world one more time. After breakfast, an excursion to the nearby forest begins – extending to the vicinity of the lodge, to observe the flora and fauna in Pantanal. Transfer to the airport in Cuiaba (according to departure time).Program subject to change due to weather influences and natural phenomena. Prices per person:
Services (included in price):2-night stay in the Fazenda Rio Clarinho with full board (tent or hammock), including the possibility for use of the common toilet/shower facilities.2-night stay in a tent, in the heart of the natural environment (bush camp) with full board (you’re your own food etc.) – includes two 4-hour boat trips to search for jaguars and other animal species. 1 overnight stay in the Pousada Pouso Alegre with full board in a double, three-bed or four-bed room with bath/shower and fan. All transfers, all tours as described in the program; 24-hour assistance offered by an experienced English-speaking travel guide. The following are not included in this price:Beverages. Personal expenses. Gratuities.Equipment:Proper footwear (light hiking shoes), long jeans or trekking pants, long-sleeved shirt, t-shirts and shirts to sleep in, hat, cap or headscarf, sun-blocker and mosquito repellent. Do not wear black clothing, because the colour black attracts mosquitoes! Sweatshirt, sweater or fibre-fur clothing strongly recommended from June to September, since in the evening, it may indeed be rather cold. Vaccination against yellow fever very strongly recommended. Also bring along a torch, light rain jacket, summer sleeping bag. Good physical condition is necessary.Please note:The equipment in its entirety – such as the tent, camping mats, cooking utensils, the boat, a cooler, beverages and the like (please note: beverages for sale, not included in travel costs) will be provided by us.The JAGUARPortuguese: Onça pintada  Head and body measure 112 to 185 cm – the tail is usually 45 to 75 cm long. The
jaguar is known to have the strongest dentition of all wild cat
species, although its body is not nearly as large as that of lions or
tigers. Nevertheless, the average weight of a male amounts to 103 kg –
whereby reports have been made of the capture (in the Pantanal) of some
animals weighing over 150 kg. The spotted jaguar, also called
"Jaguaretê" by natives, is the largest cat species in the Americas.
This family includes eight sub-groups which also originate from the
American continent. The spotted jaguar also occurs as a black mutation
(Melanismus) – here, one refers to the "Onça-preta", or the
"Pantera-negra", which is common in the Amazon region. Actually this
"black one" has the same spot pattern as its lighter-coloured relative – depending on the exposure to light, one can recognise the
even-darker black spots (characteristic to this species) between the
somewhat lighter brownish-black. The jaguar is a wanderer – in its pursuit of prey it travels up to 30 km within a very short time. Therefore, whoever seeks to watch this animal during the day needs to set aside some extra dime – and display considerable patience. When it catches a prey animal in a certain area, it then avoids the same area for a long time (which enables nature to take its course in replenishing the population of this animal until the jaguar returns to capture prey there). This behaviour also leads to the conclusion that its hunting territory is most probably quite expansive. It is furthermore a rare occurrence that two jaguars can be found in the same territory, unless this happens during mating season when several males court one female.
The jaguar is diurnal as well as nocturnal – and primarily a rogue, preferring the ground as its territory – but has also been observed as an excellent swimmer taking well to water. It also proves to be a good climber; no tree is too tall or difficult. It lives in the jungle, in cerrados, in swamps with dense thickets. Its most common prey consists of: water-hogs, wild boars (catetos), deer, caimans, roe deer, fish otters and fish. The jaguar rarely attacks humans – and on those rare occasions, most of the "victims" got away with their lives. This, in turn proves that the "attack" must probably have been rather a defensive act than a targeted attack (otherwise, those involved would not have had the slightest chance against the power and agility of this big cat. It is much more probable that a person in the jungle never sees a jaguar than that this animal would attack. The human scent alone is already a sign of danger for this big cat, and it withdraws before one has a chance to see it. The jaguar is on Brazil's endangered-species list; the main reason for this is the destruction of forests – but also relentless hunting contributes directly to its elimination. Special characteristics:A
male jaguar can weigh 90 to 120 kg – females 60 to 90 kg. There is
information of animals weighing up to 158 kg. The gestation period
amounts to 93-105 days. The litter consists of one to four offspring
(with a birth weight with the range of 70-900 g). They open their eyes
within three to sometimes 13 days after birth, and are lactated until
the fifth or sixth month of life. They remain under the mother's care
until their second year of life – and become sexually mature at the age
of two to four. In captivity, a jaguar reached a life span of 24 years.
During the 1960s, in the Amazon region alone, approximately 15,000
animals were shot and killed to supply the international fur market© Texts and photos by Günter Stysch © photos by A. u. E. Horn |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
