Brazil

In focus: Jaguar spotting in the Pantanal

Wild and remote, the Pantanal extends from the Amazon and is the world’s largest tropical wetland, straddling the borders of Brazil, Paraguay and Bolivia. Its plains and low scrubby forests are home to over 1000 species of bird and 300 different mammals, including tapirs, anteaters, jabiru storks, the striking hyacinth macaw and, of course, the jaguar.

The largest and most elusive feline in the Americas (and the third-biggest cat in the world after tigers and lions), it's notoriously tricky to spot in the wild. But since we've been running tours to the northern Pantanal, our groups have had 100% success rate in spotting these amazing cats. Jaguars are solitary predators, formidable opponents on land, and strong swimmers known to frequent the waterways we will explore on our Brazil tours to the Pantanal. We divide our time here between a houseboat and a lodge, journeying deep into the region...