Fazenda Rio Negro – Brazil

About

The Fazenda Rio Negro was a converted farmhouse hotel ranch, located on the banks of the Rio Negro, in the heart of the Pantanal in Brazil. The Fazenda sits on 19,000 acres of protected land, purchased by Conservation international in 1999. Though the Fazenda Rio Negro hotel ranch no longer seems to be running, it served as a base camp for tourists, birders, and other’s journeys into the Pantanal. It was only accessible by plane. The Pantanal is a natural region with one of the richest ecosystems located within the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul, though, it extends into portions of Bolivia and Paraguay. The State is known for its natural environment and big local and international tourism. Floodplain ecosystems are defined by their seasonal inundation and desiccation and 80% of the Pantanal floodplains are submerged during rainy seasons. It is the world’s largest tropical wetland area and the world’s largest flooded grassland. This habitat is home to a variety of native birds, of over 150 bird species, mammals, reptiles, fish, and neo-tropical fauna, including several endangered species. It offers an experience unlike others in brazil from its safari-like birding and nature exploration. The best location and area of the Pantanal for bird watching and birders is found by accessing the far north, flying into Cuiaba city. Cuiaba is also the entrance city into visiting the southern Amazonian rainforests of Mato Grosso at Alta Floresta. The Pantanal is always being threatened by agribusiness, pollution, and efforts to straighten out its rivers, dredge, and dams.  Several non-government and government organizations have organized efforts to protect the Pantanal by promoting ecotourism. Owen visited in October 2004 and has photographed over 80 birds like the Anhinga, Yellow-billed Cardinal, the Jabiru, Red-and-green Macaw, and many others.