In pursuit of “River wolves”
- Jon Isaacs
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
I went to the Pantanal in Brazil because it has the greatest population of Jaguar on the planet. The area is huge, being approximately 150,000 km2 in size, of which over 80% is submerged in the rainy season. The area is surrounded by dry forest and is therefore home to a vast myriad of creatures of diverse needs, most of which are interesting to study and photograph.
Many of the animal species are unique to South America. Of particular interest to me were the Giant otters or “Wolves of the river” as they are locally known. These creatures are the second largest by weight of the otter species and can measure 130 cm in length. They are strongly built, with a chocolate brown coat with creamy white markings on the chin and throat. They live in family groups feeding on up to 3kg of fish daily. Although they hunt their food individually, if threatened by caiman, they will band together to drive an individual from the area or even kill it. The Giant otter requires clear, slow moving waterways and channels. In the past they’ve been hunted for fur and by fishermen. They have slow reproductive rates and have been badly affected by pollution. They are currently listed as endangered.
As we were traveling daily up the channels in search of the Jaguar, we frequently traveled though otter territories. There were several family groups within the area we frequented but, as with all wild creatures, there was never any certainty as to where a family would be located at any given time. When we were fortunate enough to find them, it was often their excited cries and whistles which alerted us to their presence. Some groups were quite shy and with speed departed into the reeds which flanked many of the waterways. Some individuals headed for the roots of semi submerged trees where they chattered at us, and I’m sure laughed at our efforts to photograph them in such unfavourable conditions. Others were intent on fishing and hurtled past us, or dived below our boat as they closed in on their prey. A few even showed us their often huge catches before retiring to somewhere peaceful to consume their prize. All were intelligent, very vocal and frequently active. As I tried repeatedly to photograph them I thought how satisfying it would be to meet one who slowed down, and came in for a closer look so I could get a few decent portraits. It did however seem unlikely that I would meet such an accommodating otter but I lived in hope.
To get out of the Pantanal, and back to civilization, required a two day drive back up the Transpantaneira highway. It’s a long, hard, dusty drive, punctuated by 120 wooden bridges in various states of repair. We even had to do running repairs on one bridge ourselves in order to gingerly get our vehicle to the other side. Fortunately, the journey would be broken by a stop at the Southwild Pantanal lodge.
Having settled in, washed the dust off and had a good night’s sleep we were delighted next morning when offered a slow, quiet boat trip up the Pixaim river which flowed past the property. The ride was relaxing and we happily snapped away at the occasional kingfisher or howler monkey we saw. The boat chugged along and we watched the land glide peacefully by.
Suddenly I heard a familiar whistle and excited cries. Surely not! Heading purposefully towards us at a rate of knots was an entire Giant otter family. Frantically cameras were switched on and settings sorted as the otters kept coming. How close were they going to get? As the first webbed foot appeared on the side of the boat the answer was, pretty close! Wrong lens and a frantic fumble for the close up. The boatman had failed to mention that he had been feeding this family for several years and they were like family to him. He started distributing his fish tit bits which were consumed with excitement and relish. I’m sure that if there had been more room in the boat they would have joined us for morning coffee! A hectic time was had as they looked inquisitively at us and we obtained action and close ups of each member of the family. Finally, they had consumed all the available fish and with a final whistle they said their goodbyes and swam strongly away. We were all grinning inanely as we too went on our way. I was more than satisfied with the results of our promised quiet trip up the Pixaim.
