Jaguar August Trip Report 2025

Porto Jofre, Brazil
August 23 - 29, 2025

 August 23, 2025 — Arrival Day

We woke up in Cuiabá and were picked up by our driver for the four-hour journey to our lodge in the Pantanal.

I don’t pay much attention to cities when I am there, I’m not a fan. I just want to get in and get out as quickly as I can.

For me, the adventure begins out here in the bush, where the real story starts.

It takes about an hour to leave the pavement behind and hit the dusty, bumpy Transpantaneira road. That’s when the wildlife starts appearing.

The heat today was intense, though, and most animals were tucked away. Early mornings and late afternoons are always best for wildlife, midday during the dry season is just too hot.

What struck me most was how different the road felt compared to July. 

Back then it was alive: birds everywhere, caiman stacked on top of each other, just teeming with life. 

Now in the dry season, much of the water is gone, and so are the birds and caiman. I’m excited to get on the river tomorrow, where the wildlife will be concentrated. 

It should be good.

By 7 PM we were out on a night safari along the Transpantaneira. I love these drives, you never know what’s going to appear.

Photography isn’t the best since you’re shooting strobes, and most animals are shy, quick to run or fly off.

But it’s still exciting to catch a glimpse of the nocturnal world.

Tonight, we found a great horned owl, a bit distant, but always impressive to see. 

Owl’s are my favorite bird species.

I managed to capture a nice proof-of-life shot, better than I expected, honestly. The backdrop helped a lot. The colors of the leaves in the trees behind the owl added some texture to the image, almost as if the landscape itself was painting the picture for me.

The wind picked up while we were out there, which made things harder. Mammals rely heavily on scent, and when the wind’s strong, they tend to lay low and move much more cautiously.

On the way back to the lodge, we came across a nightjar (or nighthawk) laying down on the side of the road.

We got super close. It never moved. This little guy relied on its camouflage to stay hidden. 

A fun little encounter to end the night.

Overall, a nice way to start the trip.

Tomorrow the adventure really begins, the day kicks off at 6 AM.

LETS GOOO!!!

August 24, 2025 — Day One on the River

We hit the river this morning, and it was cold! 

Last night’s winds brought in a front, and we woke to thick clouds and chilly air. 

The upside… the clouds diffused the light beautifully, giving us some great conditions for photography. 

The jaguars, on the other hand, were slow to rise, no surprise, with a morning this cold. Most of the caiman stayed tucked away in the warmer river water.

With no cats moving early, the focus shifted to birds, and our group loved it. 

They were fascinated by the variety, so we took advantage of the slow morning to enjoy species we usually overlook when the jaguar action is hot. 

I had another go at photographing the boat-billed heron, but still haven’t nailed the shot I’m after.

At 11 AM we finally found our first cat of the trip,  Thomas, a three-year-old male. He was curled up by the river enjoying the break from the usual heat. As the sun broke through the cloud cover, we felt the sting of the day warming up. 

No photos of Thomas, we just watched him for a few short minutes and moved on, leaving him to enjoy his cat-nap.

By early afternoon, the chill had us bundled up on the boat, and the cats seemed just as reluctant to move. Sightings were scarce, but we kept busy photographing birds and capybaras. Highlights included a tiger heron eating a frog with striking zebra-striped legs,  and a caiman with a fish.

The caiman was a little shy, so the photos weren’t perfect, but they might make for good storytelling.

At 3:20 PM, we finally had another cat: Marcela, hunting. 

By the time we arrived, she was swimming in the river. With so few jaguars active today, boats flocked to her quickly, and soon she had quite an audience. She was the last cat we saw all day. The cold really affects them, but with another chilly day forecast tomorrow, maybe hunger will push them to hunt.

We ended the day scanning the river’s edge for snakes, since our guide Jean is a passionate herper and was hoping for a yellow anaconda sighting. 

Instead, we stumbled across something unexpected, a neo-tropical otter. At first I thought giant otter, but no, these guys are much smaller, travel solo, and are extremely skittish. 

They’re notoriously difficult to track or photograph, but we managed a few proof-of-life shots of its face.

A rare and tricky species to cap off the day, not bad at all. A slow day for cats, but filled with birds, caiman, and an otter surprise. A good start to the week.

August 25, 2025. Day Two.

By 9 AM we found our first cats of the day. 

Two were resting, one in the sun, the other in the shade. Hard to tell if it was a mother with an older cub or a mating pair, but they didn’t stay long. After a quick glimpse of them sleeping, they woke and melted into the bush. Those cats turned out to be Patricia and Makala. I remember Makala as a tiny cub last season. No longer a kitten, she’s growing fast.

Not long after, a third cat appeared: Ozado, a collared male who had been impacted by the fires. 

They collared him to track his progress after his release from the animal hospital.

His collar should have been removed months ago but is still on. The researchers are fearful of darting him again to remove the collar, as they do not want to stress him anymore. 

Across the river from him, another male, Bagua, was stretched out.

We watched Ozado laying their quietly waiting for a caiman to swim closely by, but they never did.

Eventually, Ozado abandoned his ambush attempt on a caiman and slipped into the river for a swim. 

We followed him as he cut through the water before climbing out and vanishing into the forest.

By mid-morning we were already at four cats, a fantastic start.

Later we encountered a small group of giant otters, an adult with two large juveniles. 

They had just finished a meal, and the youngsters played and wrestled until the adult gave a sharp squeal and led them off, likely back to a nearby den.

As the sun came out strong, the chill of the morning gave way to real heat. 

I started the day bundled in a sweatshirt and jacket and by noon was in a t-shirt.

Then came jaguar number five: Ipepo. 

We arrived just in time to see him dragging a freshly killed caiman from a tangle of branches and grass along the river’s edge. 

It was only a fleeting moment, just enough to snap a few photos before he disappeared with his meal into the brush. 

So close to witnessing the full predation happen, but not quite the dream shot of a jaguar pouncing on a caiman I am after.

Still, five cats in one day, plus otters,  it’s been an incredible day on the river. 

When we got back to the lodge, the Hyacinth macaws were eating seeds from the palm trees on the property.

We were losing the light, but we still managed to snap a bunch of close up images of these beautiful birds before they flew up high in the trees to roost for the night.

It was a great way to finish our day. 

August 26, 2025. Day Three. - Today we go to the Wolf Camp.

The day began on the river with two familiar cats, Medrosa and Marcela. 

Marcela swam across the river with the calm confidence she’s known for, unfazed by the boats shadowing her. 

The jaguars here have long since tuned out the human presence.

Medrosa was laying in the thick brush by the river, and Marcela climbed out of the river and walked into the brush.

The cats ran into each other in the forest and got into a growling/snarling match.

Medrosa is the mother to Marcela, so their snarls were not dangerous, they just looked dangerous… just jaguars being jaguars. 

We left these cats and continued on…

Soon after, we came across a capybara family, mom, dad, and two babies nursing. 

Just around the bend, Bororo, a big male jaguar, was stalking them. 

Bororo is a big scary cat. Damn he is cool.

The capybaras bolted into the river, exploding in panic. They made their escape, but it was an electric moment to witness.

11AM. As we prepared to head toward wolf camp, the cats kept appearing. 

We saw Jaju on the hunt, tracked her for a while, then moved on.

Later, we caught Marcela again, this time with a fresh caiman kill. 

She was hauling it from the river as we arrived, but before we could get clean photos she vanished into the brush. 

So close to capturing the shot I dream of… jaguar mid-pounce on a caiman. 

That is a picture living in my camera, waiting to come out. 

Motoring down the Piquiri River toward wolf camp, we spotted a lone giant river otter. Usually they travel in families, so perhaps this one had been forced out by a dominant male. 

Not far after, a water buffalo appeared in the river. 

This old bull lumbered out as we approached, the first time I’d seen one fully in the open, in sunlight. Their high, ridged backs remind me of a gaur. 

They’re not native; ranchers brought them years ago, hoping they’d thrive in the marsh. They did, too well. 

Untamable, they were abandoned or escaped, and now live wild, considered dangerous by locals who advise people to keep their distance.

By the time we arrived at the wolf lodge, tension and excitement were high. 

The lodge owner told us wolves had appeared yesterday around 4 PM. Hoping we get lucky today?

4PM came and went, and no wolf.

Right before sunset, a confident female wolf showed up. We saw her walking towards the lodge way in the distance.

Talk about fire!!!

She was stunning, not shy at all and gave us 45 magical minutes as she posed for our cameras. 

Not long after she left, a second female appeared, a bit more skittish, but she lingered for about 20 minutes before slipping back into the forest.

I captured some backlit photos of her in sunset light that I’ll treasure. 

Absolutely gorgeous animal.

As darkness settled, our guide Jean called in a black-barred owl, a species notoriously difficult to find.

To our amazement, one appeared, investigating just long enough for us to capture a few images.

Definitely a species that Birders covet seeing.

Before the night ended, we had one more bonus animal we were waiting for… tapirs.

They visit the camp’s massive mango tree nightly.

Eating the fallen fruit the birds drop during the day.

There was not a lot of mangos on the tree right now, so I was not sure if they would show up… but they did.

After a long wait, two showed up, one was very shy and disappeared every time we were near, the other watching us from the shadows in a long standoff before deciding we weren’t a threat. 

It eventually stepped into the light and fed calmly beneath the mango tree, a quiet, mesmerizing moment.

This was a Magical day.

It was the stuff of dreams.

From jaguars and capybaras to wolves, tapirs, otters, and a rare owl, it was an unforgettable day in the Pantanal… wild, raw, and full of surprises.

August 27, 2025. Day Four

We were up at seven for breakfast, a little groggy after staying out late for wildlife the night before, but it was worth it.

Right after breakfast our local guide at the Wolf Lodge called out: Wolf! 

The resident capybara family was barking warnings  and running for their lives as a wolf attempted to grab one of their babies. 

No kill this time, but soon after the chase the wolf walked straight into camp.

Today it was the male, making this the third different wolf we’ve seen on this trip, and one of the first time a wolf has showed up in camp at 8AM.

Normally it is around 5AM when they make a quick appearance.

Hell yeah! 

We photographed him for about 20 minutes before he returned to the forest to spend the day hunting and doing whatever wild wolves do.

By 8:30 AM we left wolf camp and headed back to the main river system in search of jaguars. 

The weather was perfect, though the forecast promised the 90s by midday.

En route we encountered another neotropical otter, the rarest and hardest to find otter species in the Pantanal. 

This one wasn’t as shy as most and even climbed out of the water briefly. I managed a few photos and I’m hoping at least one comes out sharp.

Farther along we spotted a male jaguar sleeping on the Piquiri riverbank. 

Jaguars aren’t often seen here. 

Mari checked the ID book but found no match, meaning this cat isn’t catalogued. Which means we may get to name him, or at least Jean, our guide does, since he is the one who spotted the cat.

Once we reached the Jaguar Rivers, our second cat of the day appeared, Donald, a male walking along the river. He disappeared quickly into the brush, so we moved on.

An hour later, we found another jaguar sleeping deep under the trees. Another boat identified her as Saseca, a female. Since she was resting well out of sight, we didn’t linger.

We finished up our time on the river without another cat sighting. 

By then we were all tired, happy, but tired. So much magic out there. 

The wolf camp, the Jaguar River. Just wow wow wow.

Back at the hotel, even though we were exhausted, none of us went straight to our rooms. 

The bird feeder was buzzing with hyacinth macaws, the light was perfect, and we couldn’t resist.

We dropped our gear in the grass, picked up our cameras, and started shooting.

They are such magnificent birds. I truly love them. One of my favorite things about this lodge is how healthy the local hyacinth macaw population is. 

Having them all around us, in good numbers, feels like a gift, and a perfect way to close out the day.

At night they roost in the trees here in the lodge.

They just feel safe here. Protected.

For the past few years that I have been coming to the Pantanal, the trees at the lodge are always filled with these big beautiful blue birds.

And more arrive each year.

August 28, 2025 — Day Five

Our final day on the river. The weather was perfect, no chill this morning, just a gentle breeze and clear skies.

This was our last chance to witness a jaguar predation. 

Twice before we’d arrived just after the kill, seeing only the cats retreat with their prize. Today felt different. 

I told myself… the photo I’ve been dreaming of is living inside my camera waiting to be born.

I was excited to get out there and start looking for cats.

The Day Begins… Let’s Gooo!

First animal we encountered on the river was a jabiru stork, the first I’ve seen on the water this week. 

I’d spotted a few high in their nests, but this solo bird was out hunting. Likely its mate was back on the nest guarding the eggs or chicks.

Our first cat we encountered was Patricia. She was hunting, moving silently along the riverbank.

At one point she passed right by a capybara she could have ambushed, but ignored it, or didn’t see it. 

Eventually she lay down to rest, and we left her.

Not long after, at 10:33 AM, we found Jaju by the river, also hunting. She was working an area with few caiman. Jaju has two small kittens, only seen once this season.

Then came the call we have been waiting for. Marcela was on the move. 

At the time we were sitting by the river bank, patiently waiting to see if Jaju might bring out her cubs. 

I almost told the captain to ignore the call so we could continue waiting, but something inside said, let’s follow the hunt. 

We caught up with her as she was actively looking for caiman. 

She swam up to four different caiman, but they all swam off before the cat got close enough to strike.

Then, in a tangled mess of branches, it happened, she surprised and caught one. The other boats following the hunt jockeyed for position, and we missed some of the action, but our captain Pui worked his magic and slid us into a perfect spot.

Finally, after years of trying, I captured the moment… a jaguar with a fresh kill. 

My heart was on fire.

I sent silent respect to the caiman, but this is the raw circle of life here in the Pantanal, and everything eats everything here.

Just, wow wow wow.

Marcela was trying to find a path up into the brush to eat her prey peacefully, but couldn’t find a way up. She chose a route that led her down a path that passed directly in front of our boat, and our camera lenses. 

The cat struggled to carry off her prize and we all captured photo after photo of the moment. It was magic. 

She modeled for us with the caiman for a few seconds before ascending up into the brush and dissappearing.

We were on fire. I was on fire. I had been hoping to document this moment for a very long time. 

The photo in my camera was born!

It finally happened.

We left Marcela and soon after, we found Ozado lying on the beach, looking ragged. A few days earlier he had taken down a massive caiman that nearly killed him. 

Now he was limping, his body scarred from the struggle. Ozado is no stranger to survival, he’s the collared cat who lived through the devastating 2020 fires. Seeing him again, battered but alive, was humbling.

The day kept giving. 

Next we photographed a black and white tegu as it dropped to the river’s edge to drink. 

Later we met our fifth cat of the day, Siriri, a male with blood still on his face from a fresh kill. 

The encounter was brief; he drank from the river, then retreated into the forest. We saw him again later trying to climb a tree to reach a jabiru’s nest, trying to get to the chicks. He tried to climb but couldn’t, so he vanished once more.

As we cruised back toward port, a flash of color caught our Boat captain’s eyes, a toucan. 

It was perched high in a tree, not in a good spot for photos. Mari reminded me she always sees them in pairs. And sure enough, another one was down on a log drinking water in perfect light. 

We motored over slowly trying not to spook it off. 

It never moved. 

A final gift from the river, one last set of images to end an incredible journey.

This week exceeded every expectation. Jaguars, wolves, otters, birds, and moments of pure Pantanal magic. 

If this is the last gift the river offers us today, it is enough.

What a place. What a trip. Wow wow wow.