Jaguar tourism in Porto Jofre, a remote outpost in the Pantanal wetlands in western Brazil, has become so successful that researchers now say it needs new rules to survive.
The Brazilian Pantanal is home to the world’s second-largest population of jaguars (Panthera onca) (after the Brazilian Amazon). It is estimated that 4,000-6,000 of these big cats live in the region, many concentrated in the Porto Jofre area, where just a few decades ago jaguars were almost completely decimated by illegal hunting. Today, Porto Jofre hosts the world’s highest density of jaguars since the introduction of jaguar tourism.
However, a new study warns that this success has created risks. As jaguars become accustomed to human presence, with sightings almost guaranteed, the growing crowds on the river threaten to diminish the experience and, in the end, destabilize a business that, until now, has protected the jaguars.
“When one is sighted, everyone rushes there, which creates a huge crowd and ruins the experience,” Rafael Chiaravalloti, co-author of the study and quantitative environmental anthropologist at University College London, told Mongabay by phone.
According to the Jaguar ID Project, the number of jaguars accustomed to human presence increased from 29 to 130 between 2013 and 2023. Jaguars generally flee from humans, so the phenomenon is relatively new and changes how jaguar tourism operates. Tourists now routinely sight multiple felines in a single day, and some tour companies offer refunds if no jaguar is sighted.
When jaguar sightings were rare, guides ensured viewings by sharing locations on open radio channels. However, mathematical modeling suggests that such open communication is no longer ideal now that the sighting probability exceeds 94% during peak season. With up to 30 boats on the water at the same time, guides would provide better experiences by limiting information sharing and instead forming smaller, more coordinated groups, says the study. This would likely also be better for the animals.
“From the moment resources become more predictable, you need well-defined rules so the system doesn’t collapse,” Chiaravalloti said.
Jaguar tourism generates about US$ 6.8 million per year, helping to drive the conservation turnaround in the region. The study authors say it has become a key force for driving environmental protections in a biome besieged by droughts and wildfires. At least 15% of the Pantanal burned in 2024. Jaguars were previously seen as a threat to cattle and routinely hunted, often in revenge killings, but the new industry has helped transform local attitudes toward jaguars. Now, many ranchers have adopted other solutions to keep their cattle, particularly calves, safe, such as gathering them in a protected area at night or using electric fences.
“We have very few success stories like this,” Chiaravalloti said. “And we need to protect them so they continue working.”
Source: https://news.mongabay.com, by Shanna Hanbury