South America's Big Cats

While it has long been possible to see big cats in Africa and India, it is only very recently that their South American relatives, the Jaguar and Puma, have been on any naturalist’s horizon. The Jaguar is the strongman of South America’s cats: powerful, muscular, and almost equivalent in stature to the Lion. The Puma, by contrast, is more Leopard-like: sleek, agile and elegant. The two species occur side by side in many habitats across a huge area of South and Central America but both are famously elusive. In recent years, however, Jaguars have become relatively easy to see in Brazil’s phenomenal Pantanal region (by far the best place on Earth to look for them), while Pumas have regularly been seen in the fabulously beautiful Torres del Paine National Park in southern Chile — increasingly well known as the best place to see this even more elusive cat.

This exciting Naturetrek tour combines visits to both of these wonderful regions, in each of which we work with local experts who have been watching the cats for years and who understand better than anyone their movements and use of local habitat. Thus, for the first time, we offer you the chance to see both species — Jaguar and Puma — on a single tour.

We begin in Santiago, capital of Chile, and from there we fly south to Punta Arenas, our gateway to the fabulous Torres del Paine National Park. While Pumas will be the main focus of the four days and nights we spend here, there are many other charismatic creatures to see including plentiful Andean Condors, large herds of Guanacos, two species of fox, South Andean Deer and Patagonian Hog-nosed Skunk. Among the special birds to be found in this remote and beautiful park are Cinereous Harriers, Darwin’s Rheas and the magnificent Magellanic Woodpecker. While searching for Pumas we will work with guides who have more than 25 years’ experience with these enigmatic and beautiful cats. We will search by day and night, guided by their local knowledge and the latest information, giving us the best chance anywhere on Earth of seeing a Puma in the wild.

From the dramatic temperate beauty of southern Chile we move to the tropical heat of Brazil’s justly famous wetland, the Pantanal. In addition to its healthy population of the largest Jaguars in existence, this region offers the most spectacular wildlife-watching on the continent, especially in October as the dry season draws to its close and animals concentrate around remaining water. Greater Rheas, Toco Toucans, Jabiru Storks, Cocoi Herons and Plumbeous Ibis are all common here, and both Capybaras and Yacare Caimans crowd around every waterhole. On forest islands it is common to see Black-tailed (Silvery) Marmosets, Black Howler Monkeys and Brown (Tufted) Capuchins, and even the spectacular Hyacinth Macaw is easily seen. Other animals which are often seen here include Giant Anteater, Southern Tamandua, Marsh Deer, Crab-eating Fox, Crab-eating Racoon, Brazilian Tapir and the hugely charismatic Giant Otter.

Our main aim though is to see the powerful, enigmatic Jaguar. To give ourselves the best chance, we stay four nights at the Jaguar Flotel, a floating hotel in the heart of what is widely regarded as the best place in the world for seeing this magnificent feline. During our stay, we will take morning and afternoon boat safaris to explore the Cuiabá, Three Brothers and Piquiri rivers, carefully scanning the dense forest and floating vegetation along them for signs of South America’s apex land predator. Our movements will be guided by the latest news from expert local guides and, in addition to having excellent chances of encountering Jaguars, we will be surrounded by the breathtaking variety of all the other wildlife of the region.

This tour represents your best chance anywhere of seeing South America’s two great cats, accompanied by a host of South America’s other charismatic wildlife and all to a backdrop of two utterly different, but equally beautiful, landscapes.