There is no doubt that the cat familyoccupies a special place in humanaffections. Whether it is a domestictabby purring contentedly on its favouritechoice of bed or a magnificent Tiger'burning bright' as it pads through theforest undergrowth, there is a uniquecharisma about these creatures whichinstils both primitive fear and intenseadmiration. Naturetrek clients have alwaysenjoyed a wide choice of tours offering theopportunity to observe 'big cats', includingour unrivalled 'Just Tigers!' tour, but untilnow the beautiful Jaguar has remained justan enigmatic possibility on a few of ourSouth American tours. Notoriously shy andelusive, this supreme predator is adept atconcealment but, in the Pantanal region ofBrazil, where Jaguar numbers are probablyhigher than anywhere else on the continent,the chances of encountering one greatlyincrease during the dry periods of Juneand July. This is the season when thePantanal waters are in recession,concentrating both prey and predator intothe disappearing wet areas, and it is thetime when Jaguars are most easily located.Consolidating the experience gained fromour previous Pantanal holidays, thisexciting tour makes the search for theelusive Jaguar its principal focus. Even atthis most favourable season, it cannot beguaranteed that we will find our quarry.However, great effort will be made tomaximise our chances of achieving ourobjective, with evening spot-lighting andboat trips adding extra frisson to oursearches. Even if the Jaguars fail to obligethere is a wealth of wildlife to enjoy in thePantanal. Resident mammals include thebizarre Giant Anteater, Brazilian Tapir,Tayra, Marsh Deer, Crab-eating Fox andGiant River Otters whilst the exotic avifaunafeatures a fine selection of waterbirds andthe gorgeous Hyacinth Macaw.We begin the holiday by flying, via SãoPaulo, to Cuiaba in southern Brazil. Fromhere we follow the Transpantaneira road toPixaim where we stay for three nights. Wewould have to be very lucky to find aJaguar in this part of the Pantanal but wewill use our time to simply enjoy theabundance of wildlife frequenting thismagical place, particularly the greatconcentrations of herons, storks, ibisesand wildfowl which feed under the balefulsurveillance of Paraguayan Caiman thatlie, scattered like logs, across themarshes. This is the haunt of snakes,countless amphibians and a myriad ofinsects, including colourful butterflies andgaudy dragonflies. Marsh Deer may beobserved browsing the vegetation and wewill employ boats to look for the GiantRiver Otters which pursue fish in the riversystems. During the heat of the day we willseek the comfort of our hotel and focusour field activities on the cooler earlymorning and afternoon periods whenrewards may include such elusivecreatures as a shy Brazilian Tapir ormaybe a Jaguaroundi or Ocelot, twosmaller cats to whet the appetite.Our final Pantanal destination is PortoJofre, but distractions en route mayinclude a family party of Black HowlerMonkeys or perhaps a grazing party ofCapybara, the world's largest rodent.During our stay we will use boats toexplore the Cuiaba, Negrillo and PiquiriRivers, carefully scanning the denseriverine forest edge and rush-beds for anevening appearance by a Jaguar patrollingthe river bank. Our exact itinerary will bedictated by the latest sightings from localguides and, as on previous days, thesearch for our objective will be far from asingle-species quest, for we will encountera tremendous plethora of birds and wildlifefrequenting this unspoilt wilderness. Oneof the most spectacular birds is the hugeHyacinth Macaw, a truly impressive parrotwith an appropriately loud screeching callto announce the first light of dawn. Theriverine forests around Porto Jofrerepresent one of the main strongholds forJaguars; but, even here this shy andmainly nocturnal hunter is a master atremaining concealed, although we hopefor more extrovert behaviour, particularlyas this is the time of year when therelentless desiccation of the wetlandsforces the predators to explore newterritories in their search for prey.All too soon we will have to return toCuiaba and begin the long journey back toEurope but, as we take our leave, themighty Jaguar and all the many otherfascinating creatures of the Pantanal willbe facing yet more challenges as thewaters continue to retreat, although theolder animals will be instinctively awarethat eventually the onset of rains will onceagain replenish the marshes to continuethe cycle of life into another year. Brazil - Just Jaguars!A 12-day holiday in search of the largest of South America's cats and the abundant wildlife of Brazil's Pantanal.Monday 2nd July - Friday 13th July Cost: £3,595Wednesday 11th July - Sunday 22nd July Cost: £3,595Monday 23rd July - Friday 3rd August Cost: £3,595Book direct on 01962 733051or see page 280 for Booking InformationURUGUAYPARAGUAYARGENTINACUIABAPIXAIMPORTOJOFREMATOGROSSOIGUAZÚFALLSSÃOPAULOATLANTICOCEANPANTANALBRAZILOutline itineraryDay 1Fly São Paulo.Day 2Fly Cuiaba.Day 3/5Pixaim, the Pantanal.Day 6/9Porto Jofre area, thePantanal.Day 10Drive Cuiaba.Day 11Fly São Paulo andonward to London.Day 12Arrive London.AccommodationComfortable tourist hotels inCuiaba, Pixaim and Porto Jofre. Allhave private facilities.FoodAll included in the price.GradingA. A range of gentle walks,vehicular safaris and boat rides.FocusPrincipally mammals, with emphasison searching for Jaguar, but alsothe other wildlife of the Pantanal,including birds.LeaderMario Mosquiera.Single room supplement£395.Web quick search: BRA02201JaguarThe PantanalHyacinth Macaws

The vast empty lowlands of thePantanal extend southwards from theplateau of the Mato Grosso in Brazilto the borders with Paraguay and Bolivia.This area, roughly the size of France, issparsely populated and contains manyhuge cattle ranches which provide themain source of employment in a regionlargely devoid of industry. In the north, lowdry woodland, damp grasslands andgallery forest along the banks of ameandering river system create a mixedvariety of habitats. Further south thewoodland is relieved by broad expansesof swamp and marsh which arerecognised as one of the most importantwetland areas in the Neotropics.The relative lack of human disturbanceand the open nature of the habitat meanthat wildlife is often easier to observe thanelsewhere in South America. Herds ofCapybara, the world's largest rodent,browse the swamps within the watchfulgaze of many large Caimans. These NewWorld crocodiles reach an impressive sizehere, but are fortunately mainly fish-eaters. Anacondas also occur in theswamps but are less often seen. Theedge of the wetland is home to the rareMarsh Deer and in the adjoiningwoodlands it is possible to encounterherds of Red Brocket Deer. The tallerwoodlands are frequented by agile Brown Capuchin Monkeys and echo tothe weird calls of the more lethargic Black Howlers. Along the quieter stretches of the large rivers a watchshould be kept for Giant River Otters.These endangered animals are often very confiding and will approach to within a few metres of observers, anendearing characteristic that has all toooften led to their destruction.As we journey south, we will check theswamps for Brazilian Tapirs which oftenspend the hotter parts of the dayimmersed in the water. Many of theanimals here are nocturnal of course andspotlighting at night could produce suchspecies as Racoon, Crab-eating Fox, GiantAnteater, Ocelot and a range of nightjars.That supreme South American predator,the Jaguar, is by no means rare here and,although always hard to see, the Pantanalis probably the most likely area of thecontinent to chance upon one. As might be expected the Pantanal boastsa rich and varied avifauna, from the giantJabiru Stork to tiny hummingbirds such asthe Glittering-bellied Emerald and White-tailed Goldenthroat. Herons, storks, ibisesand Limpkins throng the marshy areaswhere raptors such as Great Black, Black-collared and Savanna Hawks and SnailKites are common. The gallery forests andscrub hold a bewildering array of tropicalbirds. Antbirds, woodcreepers, toucans,tyrant flycatchers and colourful parrots arewell represented but pride of place mustgo to the huge Hyacinth Macaw, theworld's largest parrot. Under threatthroughout most of its range, thischarismatic bird is still relatively easy tofind in favoured parts of the Pantanal and will certainly represent one of theholiday highlights.To ensure that we have the maximumopportunity to enjoy the wildlife of thePantanal, we spend three nights at Pixaimnear the beginning of the unpavedTranspantaneira road and later move to the Upper Pantanal for a further two nightsat Porto Jofre. Boat excursions andnocturnal spotlighting will greatly increaseour chances of seeing the more retiringinhabitants. A final three days in Chapadados Guimaraes National Park introducesyet more variety of habitats includingcerrado forest and open grasslands.At the end of our stay in the Pantanal weretrace our steps to Cuiaba and thence byinternal flights to Iguazú for a stay of fivenights. The spectacular waterfalls on theborder between Argentina and Brazil areset amidst an ocean of tropical forestwhich is protected as a national park. Over2,000 plant species have been recordedhere, and the stunning birdlife offers ahuge range of possibilities, includingrepresentatives from such typical SouthAmerican families as toucans andwoodcreepers. We will visit both sides ofthe border during our stay and follow trailsinto the forest to look for birds andmammals. There will also be plenty of timeto simply admire the spectacle of the fallswhich can be viewed from various vantagepoints. Iguazú is ranked among theworld's greatest waterfalls and attractslarge numbers of visitors to the area. Few,however, venture along the forest trails, and we can be assured of many superbwildlife encounters. The length of stay at each location on thistour, and the combination of habitats,make this a most unusual South Americanholiday and will provide a rare opportunityto absorb the atmosphere of each placevisited and become familiar with a uniqueselection of birds and mammals.Brazilian Pantanal & Iguazú Falls A 17-day birdwatching and wildlife holiday in Brazil visiting the Pantanal wetlands and the Iguazú Falls.Monday 6th August - Wednesday 22nd August Cost: £4,795Outline itineraryDay 1Depart London.Day 2Arrive São Paulo andtransfer to Cuiaba.Day 3/5Rio Pixaim, Pantanal.Day 6/7Porto Jofre, Pantanal.Day 8/10Chapada dosGuimaraes NationalPark.Day 11/15Iguazú Falls.Day 16Depart Iguazú.Day 17Arrive London.AccommodationSimple but comfortable hotels,most with private facilities.FoodAll included in the price.GradingA. Gentle walks only.FocusBirds and mammals.LeaderMario Mosquiera.Single room supplement£595.Web quick search: BRA03202Call now or visit www.naturetrek.co.uk for your free Trip ItineraryURUGUAYPARAGUAYBOLIVIAARGENTINAPERUCOLOMBIAVENEZUELACUIABAMATOGROSSOIGUAZÚFALLSSÃOPAULOATLANTICOCEANBRAZILPANTANALIguazú FallsHyacinth Macaws