Pantanal Stories

  • Finding a wildlife paradise in Brazil’s expansive Pantanal

    WWF Magazine: Spring 2023
    Most people visit the Pantanal, the world’s largest tropical wetland, excited to see big cats—especially the elusive jaguar. I would have been thrilled to see just one.
    An alert jaguar in foliage
  • Road to recovery in Latin America

    WWF Magazine: Fall 2021
    An ambitious international plan could bring declining jaguar populations back.
    Jaguar lying down watching camera
  • Finding a delicate balance in the Pantanal

    WWF Magazine: Spring 2020
    The sprawling Pantanal supports a wealth of wildlife, plants, and people. As pressures intensify in this ecosystem, multinational cooperation and a holistic strategy are key to a better way forward.
    South America
  • People of the Pantanal

    WWF Magazine: Spring 2020
    Development within the Pantanal must be managed sustainably. Today, community members across the region are working to conserve this essential landscape and their own way of life.
    Bandeira family
  • A new water treatment plant transforms life for a community in the Pantanal

    January 30, 2020

    Before the water treatment facility was built on Margarita Island, the 350 residents of the tiny Paraguayan community drank straight from the Paraguay River. Pollutants, dumped by fishermen, tourists and cargo ships, as well as farms and factories located along the river, made kids sick, and stained their clothes with mud.

    water treatment plant on Isla Margarita, Paraguay, Pantanal
  • Saving the Pantanal

    WWF Magazine: Spring 2020
    In addition to being an environmental jewel, the Pantanal is also a tremendous resource for people. Collaboration is central to keeping the water flowing in the world's largest tropical wetland.
    Flying jabiru
  • For a ranger in the Pantanal, everything is connected

    November 05, 2019

    A day in the life of Carolina Alvarez, as she protects the Pantanal for wildlife and people, includes cleaning trails and monitoring wildlife like anacondas, jaguars, and caiman using camera traps.

    Carolina Alvarez, park ranger at Tres Gigantes Biological Station, a private nature reserve owned and managed by local conservation NGO Guyra Paraguay Alto Paraguay, Paraguay.
  • 5 amazing animals that live in the Pantanal—and need our help

    Nestled in the heart of South America, the Pantanal is the world’s largest tropical wetland. Discover just a few of the native species that live in this incredible place.

    Jaguar in the Pantanal
  • An important win for the world's largest tropical wetland

    March 22, 2018

    Brazil, Bolivia, and Paraguay signed an unprecedented declaration that calls for sustainable development of the Pantanal, a 42-million-acre wetland that touches each country. The decision follows years of collaboration among the governments that are securing a prosperous future for one of the most biologically rich ecosystems on the planet.

    The Pantanal from above
  • 5 interesting facts about the Pantanal, the world’s largest tropical wetland

    At more than 42 million acres, the Pantanal is the largest tropical wetland— and one of the most pristine—in the world.

    Pantanal at sunset
  • Celebrating wetlands and their role in supporting communities worldwide

    February 02, 2016

    More than a billion people make a living from wetlands across the world. Wetlands provide livelihoods, from fishing and eco-tourism, to farming and drinking water for communities. WWF is working to support some of the world’s most vital wetlands and the communities that depend on them across Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

    wetlands in Brazil