Transpantaneira - Brazil's Wild Highway (31/34)

Transpantaneira - Brazil's Wild Highway (31/34)

The Pantanal is the largest seasonal wetland area on earth. For this documentary, the film crew undertakes a journey on water and land to discover this region's unique fauna and flora. This incredibly biologically-diverse wetland was classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000. It is characterized by an accumulation of broad plains with hills that are no higher than 200 meters. One road crosses the north of this wetland: the Transpantaneira.

But this dirt road raised up on stilts can only be used in the dry season. And even then rainfall can turn it into a muddy adventure. The Pantanal is rich in mammals, birds and reptiles. On the very first leg of the journey, the crew cannot help but be impressed with the sheer number of different bird types, whose huge nests are built like watchtowers in the highest branches of the trees. Entire colonies of red and white ibises, Jabiru storks and the much endangered hyacinth macaws raise their young here. Tapirs, pumas, marsh deer, pampas deer, giant anteaters and maned wolves are seen more frequently in the Pantanal than anywhere else. And of course, the Pantanal jaguar is particularly spectacular. This big cat, which is twice the size of its Amazon cousin, has been mercilessly hunted for a very long time. In recent years, however, the jaguar has enjoyed a comeback of sorts - due in part to the statutory protection afforded to it and partly because farmers have recognized the valuable role this animal plays in ecotourism.