Jaguar in the Pantanal wetlands, Brazil
© Andy Rouse/Minden Picture
The best spot for jaguars. Jaguars in the Pantanal
Where's the best place to see a wild jaguar? The Amazon rainforest may be more well known, but the Pantanal is the world's largest tropical wetland – and the place you're most likely to spot a jaguar in the wild. The Pantanal is a national park and Unesco World Heritage site covering 70,000 square miles on the western side of Brazil, extending into Bolivia and Paraguay. It's difficult to travel there during the wet season (November-April) – high temperatures make it nearly unbearable, and rain and flooding often close roads. Hotels in the region even shut down for periods of time each year. May through September is the dry season, when temperatures cool off and conditions are more friendly to both people and many animals. If you plan to visit, pack some binoculars and keep your eyes peeled for a big spotted cat sitting blithely on the riverbank.
Related Images
A red dragon sculpture at Caerphilly Castle for St David's Day
Almond orchards in bloom, Sacramento Valley, California, USA
Wildflowers in bloom at Lost Dutchman State Park in Arizona, USA
Water wheel in the Tashkurgan Grassland, Tashkurgan Tajik Autonomous County, Xinjiang, China
A musical note in the garden of Anne Hathaway's Cottage, Stratford-upon-Avon
Circular agricultural fields in Morgan County, Colorado, USA
Chital deer in misty grassland at dawn, Kanha National Park, India
Lake Dobson in Mount Field National Park of Tasmania, Australia
Bing Today Images
