Tuesday 1 March 2011

Where jaguars still roam......


Last week BNT went on an expedition trip to the remote Taiama Ecological Station to investigate the sustainable eco tourism potential of this remote area in the North Pantanal. The Taiama Ecological Station covers a protected area of 14.300 of untouched wilderness and mainly contains the Taiama island, located in the middle of the Paraguay river. The nearest town is Caceres at about 110 km and can be reached by speed boat in about 3,5 hrs (full speed). Taiama is a region where man still respects and fears the mighty jaguar, encountered in high concentration. The best time to observe these felines is during the dry season (May – October), though it was the wet season during our visit and the water level was really high, it was still quiet ‘easy’ to observe them in their natural habitat. During our (short) 02 night stay we were able to encounter 02 jaguars on the Paraguay river bank. At about 1 hour (by boat) before entering the reserve Fazenda Desvalvados is located, an 18th century jerky beef industry/community, that is being transformed into tastefull eco tourism retreat, maintaining the historical buildings, directly located at the Paraguay river. With the Fazenda Descalvados operating in the near future, and the known increasing eco tourism interest for jaguar (and bird) observation, we are certain that this amazing region will be soon on the top of each eco tourist’ wish list.