Mammals of Central Brazil

Brazil is a great place to study mammals. We have chosen the very best areas where the most emblematic animals occur and have good chances of being found. The South American “big five” are the Jaguar, Maned Wolf, Tapir, Giant Anteater and Giant Otter, and this unique tour offers chances to find all of them.

Starting at the Pantanal, we drive through flooded savanna. Our rides allow us to look for Capybaras, Coati, Collared Peccary, Crab-eating Fox and Marsh Deer. We also go out at night, hoping to find the more elusive species, such as Tapir, and perhaps some of the cats present in the area. We have seen Ocelots on many of our trips, and also present are Jaguaroundi, Oncilla, Margay and of course, our ultimate prize, the Jaguar. Our best chances for finding it are during several boat rides along the Cuiaba River, which is famous for having reasonable possibilities of seeing the greatest of all the Neotropical predators. Another boat ride allows us to approach the tame Giant Otters, which are seen on virtually every trip. Exploring the tree tops, we also look for Lesser Tamandua, Brown Capuchin, Black Howler Monkey and Silvery Marmoset.

The second part of the trip is at the relatively close and unexplored Emas National Park. Emas is the local name for the Rheas, which are common in the area and easily seen due to the particular structure of the “Cerrado” vegetation. This kind of wooded savanna is dryer than the Pantanal, and as is there, wildlife is easy to spot from a distance. Giant Anteaters are seen frequently and there are very good chances of a Maned Wolf sighting. One of the rarest mammals in the world, the Giant Armadillo, occurs here as well. Reptiles and Birds are also a big attraction. We have seen hundreds of Caymans, and also Yellow Anaconda and Green Iguanas. Hyacinth Macaws are nearly guaranteed and Jabirus and other waders are counted in the hundreds.

This tour can be combined with a week in the Amazon Forest at Alta Floresta, whose towering trees are a wonderful place to look for primates and the majestic Harpy Eagle.