Onçafari Project at Caiman Ecological Refuge

*Habituating an animal is different to domesticating it. When a jaguar is habituated it simply stops perceiving the vehicles as a threat and acts normally in our presence. It still remains a completely wild cat. This whole process is being monitored by CENAP, the carnivore research and conservation centre of the Brazilian Ministry of Environment.

Today you will spend a full day and evening with the Projeto Onçafari team. Head out with them in the morning, get involved with their daily activities and help them search for the elusive jaguar.

The team may check camera traps, look for tracks on the ground, try to locate kills that jaguars might have made during the previous night, check data from satellites that follow collared jaguars and even search for them via a receiver that can capture VHF signals emitted by their collars.

Once a sign of the animal is found they will attempt to locate the animal in order to further the habituation process and hopefully allow you to observe these magnificent cats in their natural environment. You will also be given a full presentation on the Project’s work and objectives at our base station.

Note: tour is for a maximum of six guests. Duration: approximately three hours in the morning, two hours in the afternoon and three hours at night. All meals will be served at your lodge and you will have time to relax and recover after lunch.

At Projeto Onçafari they work with the habituation of wild jaguars and although they have had great success in finding these cats in the past they cannot guarantee that a jaguar will be sighted during your stay. Their goal is to not interfere with the jaguar’s way of life and therefore cannot put guests' interests in front of the jaguars'.