Jaguar calling her cub in the southern Pantanal. At a waterhole in the Caiman Ecological Reserve in the southern Pantanal we found this three year old jaguar swimming along the edge of the waterhole. She was clearly lactating and had a four month old cub, although the cub had rarely been seen. Suddenly she began calling for the cub and our hopes were raised that we might get a glimpse of this reclusive cub. Despite calling loudly for some time the cub did not appear and its mother disappeared into some dense undergrowth hopefully to be reunited with her precious cub. Watching and listening to a jaguar calling her cub was a special moment.
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 male jaguar can measure up to 2.5m in length and weigh 130kg. 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. As apex predators, they play a crucial role in maintaining the balance of their ecosystem, making their conservation vital for the region’s biodiversity.
Caiman Ecological Refuge is a private ranch extending to 53,000 hectares in the southern Pantanal. Which includes a private reserve which is protected in perpetuity for nature conservation. The enlightened owner has combined cattle ranching with wildlife conservation. Of key importance is the organisation, Onçafari, an NGO with a research centre on the property which engages in high quality research on Jaguars and other species. Onçafari has also habituated many Jaguars thus enabling wildlife ecotourism which benefits the wildlife conservation efforts but also provides emp