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The
Jaguar Ecological Reserve is currently a
1200-hectare federally registered reserve (R.P.P.N. - Reserva
Particular de Patrimonio Natural). The Reserve was created
in 1999 with the help of the non-profit Focus
Conservation Fund. The Jaguar Reserve
is owned by a local Pantaneiro family who has pledged to preserve
it. Profits from the Reserve’s lodge are re-invested to purchase
more land for the Reserve. It is our hope that the Reserve
will expand significantly in the next few years. We also hope
to fund a local school for Pantaneiro children.
History
 For
three centuries, cattle ranching has been the dominant economic
activity in the Pantanal. For a number of reasons, ranching
has become less profitable in the Pantanal since the 1970s.
As a result, unfortunately many traditional Pantaneiro families
have had to leave their ranches and move away to the towns
outside the Pantanal.
We started our lodge to develop an economic alternative to
ranching. We are proving that ecotourism can be a sustainable
source of income for ranchers. Locally-owned tourism ventures
like the Jaguar Ecological Reserve provide
much-needed employment for Pantaneiros. We want to preserve
not only the jaguars and other wildlife
of the Pantanal, but also our unique culture.
With the help of our friends and supporters, over the past
decade we have improved and expanded
our lodge. We also formally converted much of our ranch
into the Reserve to ensure that it would be protected forever.
While we host more and more guests each year, we strive to
maintain the intimate, family atmosphere at the lodge. Typically
there is no more than one group visiting the lodge at a time.
By the time our guests depart, they feel as if they are part
of our family!
Guides
 We
are proud to only employ experienced, English-speaking guides
from the Pantanal. This guarantees our guests an unparalleled
experience during which they will learn as much as they desire
about the unique culture and biodiversity of the Pantanal.
Our guides offer a full range of services, from nature hikes
through the forest, nighttime wildlife-viewing
drives, fishing trips and birdwatching tours. Guides carry
spotting scopes, field guides and tape recording and playback
equipment to assist in locating and identifying wildlife.
Our two main guides are Eduardo Falcão and Fabricio Dorelio.
 Eduardo Falcão was born and raised in the Pantanal. The son of a jaguar hunter and rancher, Eduardo grew up with a keen awareness of the Pantanal’s culture, history and wildlife, which he is happy to share with his guests. Eduardo speaks English very well. In 2003, Eduardo traveled across the United States to raise awareness of threats facing the Pantanal’s culture and biodiversity.
Eduardo is an expert birder, intimately familiar with hundreds of species in the Pantanal. Eduardo is also available to guide trips in the Amazon and Atlantic Forest of Brazil, where he travels several times a year. His wife Juscineide and children Eduarda and Joao Paulo live in Cuiabá during the school year but stay at the Reserve the rest of the year.
 Fabricio Dorelio is also a Pantaneiro. Fabricio has a thorough
understanding of the Pantanal’s birds,
mammals, reptiles
and fish species. He speaks conversational English. In 2005
Fabricio traveled to the United States to study ecology and
English in New England. Our guests are continually impressed
by Fabricio’s enthusiasm. Like many Pantaneiros, Fabricio
is an excellent fishermen. Our guests often dine on piranha,
pacu and other fishes that Fabricio catches near the Reserve.
Both Eduardo and Fabricio received training in English and guiding from the Focus Conservation Fund.
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