Brazil's Pantanal

You've probably heard of Amazon, but its neighbor, the Pantanal, receives less attention despite the fact that there is a better place to see animals. Hidden in the Amazon, the animals in the dense foliage, but right in the Pantanal, the animals is clearly visible. You can watch animals in their natural environment, the world's largest wetland. More than 20 times larger than the Florida Everglades, is part of the Pantanal in Bolivia, Paraguay and Brazil. National Park and three small private nature reserves have been designated World Heritage sites by UNESCO in 2000.

What makes the Pantanal is so environmentally friendly that there are many elements of the Cerrado savanna in Brazil and Paraguay scrub combines the Chaco, in addition to ponds, lakes, rivers, forests and islands, fascinating habitat for over 200 species of mammals and 650 species of birds die. The area is known as "South America's Wild West" as pumas, ocelots, wolves, ants, bears, eagles and other animals can live without fear of human disturbance. It remains thin with plantations (farms), where cattle graze during the dry season set. There are few people and no towns in the Pantanal, which such great distances that people must work around small planes, motor boats, and 4 wheel drive. The only road that crosses the Pantanal, the Transpantaneira Road land has increased by about 125 small wooden bridges. Two-thirds of the way of Poconé remained incomplete at Corumbá because the lack of resources and environmental concerns.

From December to March, Run-off from seven rivers filled the wetland. Then, in early June, turning the tide goes out and water catchment area in the smaller fish ponds and smaller lakes and canals. From July to December, the game viewing is spectacular, as the animals gather shrinking body of water to drink and feed on trapped fish. This is true even when wading birds - herons and egrets ten species, six species of ibises and spoonbills, and three species of stork, - begins to nest in large, noisy colonies. Equally impressive is the performance of the region of 20 million black caimans around each water point, so the highest density of crocodiles in the world. Even at water holes capybaras, anacondas, jaguars, and marsh deer and have been established.