Tags
black vulture, capybara, cocoi heron, Howler monkey, iguana, Jabiru, jaguar, Pantanal, water buffalo
Off again for the afternoon boat ride.

Black vultures. ‘They’ said that this bird defaecates on its legs to cool itself. As my bird book says this bird has yellow legs, I have to accept that ‘they’ were not kidding.
And then, thanks to boatmen’s walkie-talkies, we came upon Maxime,slowly making his way along the small beach.
And then he froze. For a long time. Clearly he had seen something.
And then in a mad rush there was nothing.
We heard loud barking, just like a dog, the characteristic sound of a capybara who is very unhappy indeed. But he should have been happy: he had escaped.
And Maxine went to climb out of the river,
before changing his mind, and continuing along the riverside.
We followed. So did lots of others.
The jaguars are really not bothered by human attention, as long as a respectful distance is kept.
In due course Maxime decided to go ‘inland’, showing himself from time to time. Jaguars love the river banks as places to cool off.
We continued on our way, vaguely making for home.
The sun started to set,
and in due course we rounded the corner, past the ‘cormorant tree’,
Nous aussi.
Amazing pictures
Bxx >
>
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you B. Great to see you all yesterday.
LikeLike
What a visit you are having, I loved the capybara too, very sweet.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you Susan. I look forward to hearing about your own recent escapade in due course.
LikeLike
Another day full of interest. Glad you were able to get close enough to Maxime to get some excellent shots.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s amazing how little the jaguars, and much of the other wildlife, are fazed by the presence of humans.
LikeLike
Thanks for sharing the excellent pictures and narrative, Venetia.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Geoff.
LikeLike
It is very unexpected to see so many boatloads of viewers on the river. I hope the local economy is thriving as a result. I enjoyed your pictures a lot.
LikeLiked by 2 people
See below.
LikeLike
The main local ‘industry’ for the low population is cattle ranching. There is conflict because of the jaguars’ predilection for beef. But the stockmen do seem to appreciate the link jaguars/tourism/economy. None of which answers your query in the state of that economy…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, based on what I’ve read the ranchers in the Pantanal seem to have a mixed relationship with jaguars. On one hand the cats bring in money via tourism, and on the other they limit profits through depredation. There’s lots of work being done to reduce livestock losses though, so that may become less of an issue.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Such fascinating wildlife in the Pantanal, I’m loving all your posts.
I find it particularly interesting that the jaguars there are so relaxed around boatloads of tourists. I wonder if they recognized you as humans or if they were thrown off by the fact that you were in boats. Or maybe they know how to tell the difference between safe and threatening humans. Did any of your guides talk about this?
LikeLiked by 1 person
There was some talk of the jaguars recognising that we were good for them, but I didn’t fully get what was being said. Perhaps they have worked out that floating containers full of mammals with no fur but covered in fabric, and wielding shiny black things in front of their eyes, means safety.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Haha it’s possible, they’re quite smart. In fact they have the largest brain-to-body ratio of all the great cats. Oh I could talk about jaguars all day!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I can well understand why.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love the capybara munching on its leaf. And, of course, your exciting series featuring Maxime, the great star !
LikeLike
Impossible not to like both animals.
LikeLike
Pingback: How Social Identity can Influence Conservation | The Jaguar