Magazine

Jaguar and Harpy Eagle in Brazil

by Editor HJ Yang
Edited and published by Yvette Depaepe, the 6th of September 2024

For a long time, I want to go to Pantanal, Brazil to see Jaguars. So right after Covid 19 restrictions lifted, I went to Pantanal, Brazil in August and September, 2022. We booked with SouthWild company for arranging all travel.

'Morning drinking'

We met SouthWild guide at Cuiabá Airport on August 28.. Lunch in local restaurant. The drive from Cuiabá starts with driving 100 km southwest to the town of Poconé, which with 25,000 inhabitants, is the county seat for 5 million acres of the north Pantanal. As you leave the south end of Poconé on your way into the Pantanal proper, you see the dry forests and fields drop slightly into the large flat floodplain of the Pantanal proper, and the 122 bridges begin.

The Pantanal (Portuguese pronunciation: [pɐ̃taˈnaw]) is a natural region encompassing the world's largest tropical wetland area, and the world's largest flooded grasslands. It is located mostly within the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul, but it extends into Mato Grosso and portions of Bolivia and Paraguay. It sprawls over an area estimated at between 140,000 and 195,000 km2 (54,000 and 75,000 sq mi). Various sub-regional ecosystems exist, each with distinct hydrological, geological, and ecological characteristics; up to 12 of them have been defined.

Roughly 80% of the Pantanal floodplains are submerged during the rainy seasons, nurturing a biologically diverse collection of aquatic plants and helping to support a dense array of animal species.

We stayed at SouthWild Pantanal Lodge(SWP) from August 28-30th.The lodge is famous for its excellent mammal viewing, photo-opportunities from the two wildlife-viewing towers, water birds on the Pixaim River, and birding. We spent a few on the boat and hiking. On two nights we saw ocelot, coming out from wild and climbing tree branches.

THE OCELOT (Leopardus pardalis) is a medium-sized spotted wild cat that reaches 40–50 cm (15.7–19.7 in) at the shoulders and weighs between 7 and 15.5 kg (15.4 and 34.2 lb) on average. It is native to the southwestern United States, Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean islands of Trinidad and Margarita. Carl Linnaeus scientifically described it in 1758. Two subspecies are recognized.

“Ocelot on the tree branch”

The ocelot is efficient at climbing, leaping and swimming. It prefers areas close to water sources with dense vegetation cover and high prey availability. It preys on small terrestrial mammals, such as armadillos, opossums, and lagomorphs. It is typically active during twilight and at night and tends to be solitary and territorial. Both sexes become sexually mature at around two years of age and can breed throughout the year; peak mating season varies geographically. After a gestation period of two to three months, the female gives birth to a litter of one to three kittens. They stay with their mother for up to two years, after which they leave to establish their own home ranges.

Then we stayed at SouthWild Jaguar Flotel from August 31st to Sept 7th-Two 4-h boat outings per day search for Jaguars & Giant Otters on some of these river channels: Three Brothers, Black Channel, Cuiabá and Piquiri.

THE JAGUAR (Panthera onca) is a large cat species and the only living member of the genus Panthera native to the Americas. With a body length of up to 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) and a weight of up to 158 kg (348 lb), it is the biggest cat species in the Americas and the third largest in the world. Its distinctively marked coat features pale yellow to tan colored fur covered by spots that transition to rosettes on the sides, although a melanistic black coat appears in some individuals. The jaguar's powerful bite allows it to pierce the carapaces of turtles and tortoises, and to employ an unusual killing method: it bites directly through the skull of mammalia prey between the ears to deliver a fatal blow to the brain.

'Jaguar resting on a tree'

The modern jaguar's ancestors probably entered the Americas from Eurasia during the Early Pleistocene via the land bridge that once spanned the Bering Strait. Today, the jaguar's range extends from the Southwestern United States across Mexico and much of Central America, the Amazon rainforest and south to Paraguay and northern Argentina. It inhabits a variety of forested and open terrains, but its preferred habitat is tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forest, wetlands and wooded regions. It is adept at swimming and is largely a solitary, opportunistic, stalk-and-ambush apex predator. As a keystone species, it plays an important role in stabilizing ecosystems and in regulating prey populations.

The jaguar is threatened by habitat loss, habitat fragmentation, poaching for trade with its body parts and killings in human–wildlife conflict situations, particularly with ranchers in Central and South America. It has been listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List since 2002. The wild population is thought to have declined since the late 1990s. Priority areas for jaguar conservation comprise 51 Jaguar Conservation Units (JCUs), defined as large areas inhabited by at least 50 breeding jaguars. The JCUs are located in 36 geographic regions ranging from Mexico to Argentina.

The jaguar has featured prominently in the mythology of indigenous peoples of the Americas, including those of the Aztec and Maya civilizations.

We then drove to northwest, to our Harpy eagle land, near Salto do Ceu to look for harpy eagle on September 14th.

THE HARPY EAGLE (Harpia harpyja) is a large neotropical species of eagle. It is also called the American harpy eagle to distinguish it from the Papuan eagle, which is sometimes known as the New Guinea harpy eagle or Papuan harpy eagle. It is the largest and most powerful bird of prey found throughout its range, and among the largest extant species of eagles in the world. It usually inhabits tropical lowland rainforests in the upper (emergent) canopy layer. The harpy eagle (Harpia harpyja) is found throughout Brazil, especially in the Amazon rain forest. They are also found in other parts of Latin America, but are nearly extinct in Central America due to logging. In Brazil, the harpy eagle is considered by many Brazilian indigenous tribes as the personification of tribal chiefs, a symbol of eagerness and prowess. Its eye-sight is eight times more powerful than that of human beings, and this bird is one of the most feared hunters in Brazilian forests. They also refer to it as the gavio rael or royal hawk because of its distinctive crown of long feathers.

“After feeding-Dad and baby harpy eagles”

“Harpy Eagle”

With legs as robust as a man’s wrist and talons rivaling a Grizzly Bear’s, the Harpy Eagle surpasses the Bald Eagle of the USA in grandeur. It is, in fact, the world’s most massive aerial predator. Thriving in tall, mature tropical rain forests, this apex predator preys on medium-to-large monkeys, sloths, and even armadillos.

We stayed in a tent on a farmhouse backyard, named Estancia Mattos for two nights. Utilizing a unique network, including Brazil nut collectors who operate in extensive Amazonian territories, SouthWild has identified 35 Harpy Eagle nests. With no harm to the environment, in these special locations, we are permitted to approach nests where the majestic birds are familiar with human presence SouthWild purposely built high observation towers next to the active harpy eagle nest.. These towers are relocated based on the “nests of the season,” ensuring optimal viewing conditions. Limited space ensures an intimate tour, accommodating up to 6 people comfortably at the top of our biggest tower.

Luckily for us, when we got there, we saw the baby eagle in the nest on the first day and dad eagle came to feed the baby with food on the second day.

I really enjoyed the trip and could like to go back again in future. Before I went there I did not realize how many kinds of birds, the Brazil has. Next time, I may concentrate on the bird photography there.

'Jaguar climbing tree'

'Family Swimming-Mom with two jaguar cubs'

'Jaguar resting on the river bank'

'Two jaguars play in the river'

'Jaguar hunting'

'Jaguar caught a caiman on the river bank'

“Odd couple”

'Bring lunch'

“Catch two”

About Editor Huijun (HJ) Yang, Ph.D.

Dr. HJ Yang, Scientist, Businessman and Nature Photographer, writes about his photo trips around the world and his personal view on art, science, philosophy and life experience.

Some of his writings are below:

HJ Yang - Giving a voice to nature through photography
HJ Yang's Journey to Baffin Island
HJ Yang - Photography strongly connected to nature
HJ Yang's Journey: Patagonia Special Expedition
HJ Yang's Journey: Tracking polar bear cubs
HJ Yang's Journey: Emperor penguins on Snow Hill Island

HJ Yang’s Journey: O’ Alaska! (Coming soon)