Plenty to See in the Pantanal
A great trip to the Pantanal in 2017 inspired us to return. Our gang of 4 wildlife watchers set off in mid-September. Naturally my greatest hope was to see lots of jaguars, plus the amazing variety of animals and birds to be found in this great landscape of Brazil.
After a slightly irritating flight delay, we arrived at our first destination – South Wild Pantanal Lodge on the banks of the Pixaim River. We spent just over 2 days with a mix of walks and boat trips. Although we didn’t see jaguars, we did see lots of capybaras – which I am really fond of – capuchin and howler monkeys, caimans and a whole array of birds.
‘Sitting on a jeep at sunrise, watching a giraffe reach into a tree to munch on leaves.’ My usual answer to the question, ‘What have you missed the most this year?’ ‘Oh yes, and seeing the sea.’ Of course, I miss friends and family too, but at least I can see them on Zoom.
We stood on the deck scanning the horizon. The long lens on my camera was heavy but I didn’t mind. I peered across the ice, willing it to come into view. Then I spotted it. A yellow blob. Yes, there! It was one of those moments I’ll never forget. I said to myself, ‘I’m actually here. In the Arctic. And I’ve just seen a polar bear.’
A morning drive in the Maasai Mara. Hard to beat. Yet more wonderful sightings of animals enjoying life in the wild. For most of our time in the Mara we’d been pretty much on our own; just us 4 friends in a jeep with an excellent spotter and guide. Finding us regular sightings. Sometimes even on request. Another leopard, please. No problem.
This day there were a few more jeeps about. Some were rushing along at speed, all going in the same direction. Probably to see a kill. That sense of excitement. Check camera settings ready for action.
People sometimes ask me where they should go to view wildlife. That rather depends on what they want to see! Most of us think of the Big 5 and that’s certainly a great place to start. Many different destinations in Africa tick that box. But what next? In the last few years I’ve been lucky enough to see orangutans in