Wildlife of the Pantanal, Brazil

This is the Pantanal, the world's largest wetland. Covering an area 15 times the size of the Okavango Delta, and quietly boasting the largest concentration of wildlife in the Western Hemisphere. Almost 500 bird species reside here. From the large and imposing, to the small and colourful. A cast of avian characters so diverse, that together they could inspire an entire comic book series. The foundation of all life in the Pantanal, lies beneath the surface of its rich waters. Such is the aquatic diversity here, that scientists believe only half of all fish species have been recorded. It is these fish that sustain the wetlands wildlife. A float of Yakari Caiman bask in the shallows. They are waiting for something. A shoal of baitfish are approaching, desperate to reach the main river. The lead fish hurdles the Caiman, and the others follow. All hell breaks loose. Like Caiman, the Pantanal's giant river otters, also feed almost exclusively on fish, preferring slower moving species like catfish. Giant river otters are sociable creatures, living in groups of up to 10 individuals. Reaching lengths of over 6 feet, they are intelligent and remarkably inquisitive. And in areas where they are not persecuted, they don't seem to mind the company of humans. Often, it's at their halt sites that the best action happens. The dominant male and female clean and maintain the halt, making sure that all is safe for the rest of the group. And the rest of the group includes, well, little giants too. The locals call them jaguars of the river, and there's no doubt that they are indeed lords of their environment. But if you want to see the real jaguars of the Pantanal with any certainty, you'll need to head north to the Porto Jofre region. These normally shy and retiring big cats are remarkably relaxed around people in this area. A female jaguar cautiously approaches the water's edge. She begins to swim warily towards the opposite bank, the reason for her nervousness in tow. Further downstream, the dominant male of the area is hunting. He is swimming against the current, hoping to surprise his favourite prey, caiman. His stamina defies belief. Almost an hour later, and he is still swimming steadily upstream, pausing only briefly to catch his breath and snap at the odd irritating fly. An alert capybara bolts in front of him. Like lions and other big cats, this particular male has become a specialist hunter and seems to ignore capybara. Hunting from the riverbanks does have its drawbacks here. The mud is like quicksand. Finally, the male's keen eyesight detects a caiman basking in the shallows along with a pair of capybara. The hunt is on. He diverts course and uses the riverside vegetation as cover. He is close now. The capybara catches scent and sound the alarm, sending the caiman into the water. Contrary to popular belief, caiman have excellent hearing. A favourite meal gone a-begging, all because of those pesky capybaras. He saunters off down the riverbank and disappears. Night in the Pantanal reveals a different, smaller cat. An ocelot or jaguar-chirica, which means little jaguar. Ocelots share their nocturnal world with a whole host of other creatures that prefer to stay hidden during the day. A crab-eating fox scours the landscape for food. And its namesake, the crab-eating raccoon with its bandit-like mask. When night falls over the Pantanal, some of the world's most secretive and hard-to-see creatures emerge. One such creature is the tapir. So globally threatened that even the elusive jaguar is easier to see. Resembling a strange mixture of rhinoceros and horse, tapirs spend most of their nocturnal hours looking for suitable vegetation on which to browse. The Pantanal is so much more than jaguars and tapirs. This is a place that at once thrills and soothes. A place of breathtaking beauty. And no part of the Pantanal embodies this more than the region of Serra do Amolar, along the Bolivian border with Brazil. Surrounded by mountains and featuring crystal-clear rivers, Amolar beckons anyone with the slightest aspirations of adventure. And yes, Amolar has its fair share of wonderful wildlife too, and has bragging rights to some of the highest concentrations of jaguar and other threatened wildlife. It is this aspect of Amolar, and indeed of the greater Pantanal, that most deserves our attention.