‘In the beginning, we killed lots of jaguars’ — balancing tourism with sustainability

Described as a mosaic of ecosystems, Brazil’s Pantanal harbours 656 species of birds, 325 species of fish, 159 mammals, 98 reptiles, 53 amphibians and over 3,500 species of plants, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature.

Less than 5pc of the Pantanal area is protected, located mostly within the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul, it encompasses the world’s largest tropical wetland and largest flooded grassland.

Roughly 80pc of the Pantanal floodplains are submerged during the rainy seasons. The name Pantanal comes from the Portuguese word pântano which means wetland or bog, plus the suffix -al, which means abundance.

Most species are not under threat due to the low deforestation rates, less than 17pc, of native vegetation now in the area due to new regulations.

Almost all of the land in the Pantanal is privately owned for the purpose of agriculture and ranching.

Uncontrolled tourism has been identified as a threat to the region and residents warn of the driest year on record in the area.

Roberto’s farm has capitalised on agri-tourism since 1996, hosting an average of 34 guests per day. The agri-tourism generates a profit margin of 20pc, with 80pc of guests Brazilian residents and the remainder coming from overseas.

Fazenda San Francisco offers guests the opportunity to learn about the operation of a working farm in the Pantanal.

Roberto has established several research projects on their land with macaws, parrots, snakes, pumas and jaguars some of the animals studied.

Farm guests are given the very real warning that a jaguar could pass by the residence and not to venture too far from the beaten path.

The Pantanal is home to one of the most important populations of endangered jaguar, the third largest cat in the world.

Research is ongoing on the farm around the relationship between jaguars, pumas, wild prey and domestic livestock.

Guests can avail of a one-day tour which includes a photo safari along the Miranda River and a boat trip where you can fish for piranhas.

Those staying overnight can avail of a night safari in hunt of sighting a jaguar.

Over 390 species of bird have been recorded on the farm.

“In the beginning, we killed lots of jaguars, there were few cattle on the farms and too many jaguars,” Roberto says.

“Now we have reached the balance. Some jaguars learned to eat cattle and taught their cubs to eat cattle. Some jaguars kill and some don’t.”