Jaguar along the river bank in the northern Pantanal. We found this female jaguar walking along the bank of the Cuiabá River in the northern Pantanal. She was obviously lactating and was known to have three cubs but their whereabouts was unknown. She was in hunting mode and being plagued by flies causing her to lunge through the water at times. After a while she disappeared into dense undergrowth and vanished. We waited to see if she would emerge on the river bank further upstream but to no avail. Such a treat to watch a Jaguar along the river bank.
The jaguars of the Pantanal, the world’s largest tropical wetland, are notable for their distinctive appearance and vital ecological role. Characterised by their powerful build, thick, muscular bodies, and iconic rosette-patterned coat, these magnificent big cats are the largest in the Americas and the third largest in the world. A female jaguar can weigh up to 90kg. Jaguars are incredibly agile swimmers, often found navigating the region’s numerous rivers and lagoons in search of prey like capybaras, caimans, and deer. They have an extremely strong bite force which allows it to pierce through the skull to produce a fatal injury to the brain.