A Trip to Three Brazilian Biomes: Atlantic Forest, Pantanal, and Cerrado

I spent lots of time exploring this amazing part of Brazil riding in an open truck on challenging dirt roads in 95 degree weather. I took 173 pictures. Am going to share just a few and then add more when I get home. Wish me luck… breakfast tomorrow at 5:30, five hours of driving and four flights to get back to Wilmington. 

 After lunch we had a brief rest during the heat of the day. Then watched some new birds feed outside the lodge kitchen.   Then we headed over (in the open air truck) to the blind Lourival, (owner and animal whisperer extraordinaire) created to view the Hyacinth Macaws.   The largest parrot in the world by length, the hyacinth macaw measures one meter (3 ft 3 in) long from the tip of its tail to the top of its head .  Wolf Camps are the only lodges in the world that guarantee viewing of flocks of 15-25 or more of Hyacinth Macaws cracking their favorite wild palm nuts on the ground in perfect natural habitat. After dinner the maned wolf visited the camp again. The first video shows how Lourival calls her into camp. 

           Feeding a Bearded Capuchin monkey The famous nut-cracking Bearded Capuchin Monkeys of Wolf Valley Camp are in fact a 25-minute drive away, in a rocky dry forest nook. We leave Wolf Valley Camp after breakfast to drive to the spot and then walk 20 meters or so to find the monkeys. The monkeys are perfectly prepared to display their nut-cracking skills only a few metres from our little stools. It is amazing to watch these most intelligent of all monkeys choose their special hammer rocks like tools in their tool kit and to do full-body lifts of the heavy rocks and to bring them with all their strength to crack the extremely hard, golf-ball-sized palm nuts. It is especially fascinating to watch young monkeys observing older group members cracking nuts with these hammer rocks. The young monkeys take many months of practice and observation over 3-4 years and then more practice to get strong enough and skilled enough to crack nuts successfully themselve...

Maned Wolf was visible at close range and posed right next to the individual guest bungalows. Most visits by the wolf or wolves of the day are near sunset or near sunrise. The wolves are not aggressive at all towards humans, but rather, extremely timid and polite, so there is no danger at all. Yesterday, July 28 was another travel day which consisted of a 2 hour morning flight from Belo Horizonte to Barreiras.  To add to the adventure our pilot apparently came into the landing too fast.  As soon as the plane touched down we immediately went back into the air and circled for several minutes before successfully coming back and making a safe landing.  All this on a propeller plane.   It was a five hour ride from the airport to the Wolf Camp.  Our new lodgings were a welcome sight. Here at the Wolf Cam we each have our own bungalow with a water tank on top. 

 We were headed out on our last boat trip by 6:30 for a last quick trip on the Rio Cuiaba.  We were not disappointed. Just moments from our departure we saw a mother capybara was standing on the shore nursing her three pups.  As we pulled away the four of them seem to pose for a family portrait.  We had the River to ourselves for over an hour. Saw some new birds, watched several herons feeding, and soaked in time in this beautiful, peaceful paradise. I took several short videos of our journey so I can look back and replay this experience.   I took several photos and short videos of our journey so I can look back and relive this incredible experience.