While resting in Miranda, Emma and I were invited to visit Fazenda San Francisco. Situated just twenty kilometers from town, the farm raises beef cattle, has a large rice plantation, and in recent years has jumped into the ecotourism business.
“We are located in the heart of the Pantanal so the amount of fauna and flora found here is amazing… It was only natural that the farm welcome tourists from around the world,” Beth Coelho, the owner of the farm told me.
Fazenda San Francisco has a beautiful hotel on its 15,000 hectares of land where guests can rest and take in the Pantanal. But resting is far from what you want to do here. The farm offers boat tours on the Miranda River, safaris, bird watching, horseback riding, and night safaris that give visitors a chance to steal a much-coveted peak at a jaguar.
“Tonight I am sure you will see a jaguar, it’s not easy, but you seem like a lucky guy,” Beth said as we enjoyed a delicious dinner with hotel guests.
Since arriving in the Pantanal Emma and I have heard a million stories about the beautiful and dangerous jaguar. For several nights we slept in fear of the beasts coming too close to our camp, but truth be told, I was dying to see one! Everyday as I rode through the Pantanal I would be looking into the bushes hoping to get at least a glimpse of a jaguar. But after more than 200 kilometers of hoping, I hadn’t seen anything.
“All right everyone, please remember to stay in the vehicle at all times for your own safety,” the safari leader said as we sat waiting in a large truck.
We took off into the backcountry of the farm and a large flashlight roamed the dark of the night in search of shining eyes. Just as we were leaving we encountered our first animal – a maned wolf. This beautiful animal holds the title of South America’s largest canid. As we continued on we saw other animals – an anteater, deer, owls and other birds of the night. It was all so amazing, but I wanted to see the jaguar!
As we took a turn onto a smaller dirt road, silence turned to chaos.
“Over there, drive, drive fast!” our safari leader yelled to the driver.
My heart was beating a million times a minute as the truck flew down the dirt road. All of a sudden, as we came to an abrupt stop, I saw the jaguar starring back at us with its beautiful spotted fir and large teeth. I couldn’t believe it. He looked at the truck for a few seconds and then jumped over an old bridge before disappearing into the bush.
“That was the greatest thirty seconds of my life!” I yelled out as we all celebrated.
“You are very lucky Filipe and Emma, we usually only see the jaguar once or twice a month,” the safari leader said as we drove back to the farm headquarters.
I can now leave the Pantanal a happy man. I have seen the most beautiful and dangerous animal to roam these lands. I will never forget my encounter with the jaguar, just as I will never forgot my meeting with that grizzly bear in Montana. Luckily this time I didn’t need to fear for my life. Special thanks to all of the employees of Fazenda San Francisco and the Coelho family!
