(tense suspenseful music)
- This is the closest we had been to a jaguar yet.
This cat's definitely actively hunting.
(tense suspenseful music continues)
She's very slowly slinking through the water hyacinths
and the taller grasses.
(dramatic suspenseful music)
(water splashing)
(intense music) (rock cracking)
It's a beautiful morning here in the Brazilian Pantanal.
Today, we're heading out on the Cuiaba River.
This protected habitat
is known for its high concentration of jaguars,
one of the world's largest cat species.
I'm gonna be working alongside Abbie Martin.
Abbie is the Founder and President
of the jaguar ID Project.
And over the past decade,
she has been cataloging these incredible cats.
She's not only giving them names and collecting their stats,
but she's creating a genealogy family tree.
To this point, she has documented
over 300 of these beautiful felines.
So with any luck, we are going to see some beautiful cats,
get some epic shots,
and learn all about the work that Abbie's doing.
These big cats are the true kings and queens
of this Brazilian wilderness.
And the moment you catch sight of one,
their mystique captures you in a way that never lets go.
This is the closest we have been to a jaguar yet.
We've got two of them right down at the water, drinking.
Wow, beautiful.
Probably never gets old
seeing jaguars, does it? - No.
She's getting up.
- [Coyote] Over the past quarter century,
the Northern Pantanal specifically has become famous
for its high concentration of jaguars.
- [Abbie] Not too many people know about this place.
It's one of the most bio-diverse wetlands in the world,
but most people you tell that you're going to the Pantanal,
they don't even know about it.
But everyone knows about the Amazon,
and it's "The World's Lungs,"
but the Pantanal is kind of like a heart,
it's like the beating heart.
So, it's super important to protect this area.
And I think using the jaguar, we can do that together.
- [Coyote] Once upon a time,
cats in this area were heavily hunted for the fur trade.
Many others were killed by farmers
who saw them as a threat to livestock
in what is commonly known as the jaguar-cattle conflict.
But the good news is that this population
is currently flourishing.
And now, people travel from all around the world
to admire, film, and photograph these cats.
As local communities recognize that a living jaguar
is far more valuable than a dead one.
- Amazing mornings so far.
This is our second jaguar sighting,
and right now, the lighting's really nice.
We actually haven't really seen jaguars
on the sand bank that often.
- [Coyote] That's a cool shot right there,
coming right up to the water's edge.
- [Abbie] So the unique markings
that I look for on Patricia is this L,
that kind of frames her eye there.
And then on her left,
right where like about where her heart would be.
There's almost a rosette pattern
that looks like a heart.
- [Coyote] So what's super cool is
Patricia is Abbie's favorite cat.
Patricia is the logo for the jaguar ID project.
So this is so cool that we are filming the cat
that is literally the symbol of the jaguar ID project
on the day that we're out here filming with Abbie.
How crazy is that?
- That was awesome.
That was the first time they've ever walked
towards the camera.
So we got head on shots.
- [Coyote] You pressed record, right?
- Oh, oh no. Yeah, we did. (Coyote laughs)
- To capture the best cinematography
of jaguars in action.
Trent and Mario spent months building, testing,
and ultimately rigging a camera and gimbal system
that was designed specifically to the specs of this boat.
These will be our beauty shots.
Patricia is very slowly slinking
through the water hyacinths and the taller grasses.
Abbie said she's in hunting mode
and when you can tell is their shoulders become hunched,
and they stick closer to the ground,
just like you might see your own cat doing
as it stalks, you know,
a little laser pointer in your family room.
This is a much different scenario though.
This cat's looking for caiman.
(boat driver speaking in foreign language)
- [Abbie] Our boat driver's saying that
she wants to cross the river.
(tense suspenseful music)
- [Coyote] The boats have given her enough space now.
Hopefully she's gonna make it all the way across.
These cats are incredible swimmers.
The jaguar is the most aquatic-oriented
big cat on the planet.
The speed at which she can move across the rivers.
It's crazy.
This cat is just zooming.
The jaguars know these waters
like the back of their paw.
But as humans, to help us navigate the complex maze
of rivers, we hired the top adventure outfitter,
Biodiverse Brazil Tours.
And their superstar boat Captain.
This cat's definitely actively hunting.
- [Abbie] She's entered the reeds now, which is,
you know, where the caimans hide.
So we'll see what happens in the next few minutes.
(tense suspenseful music)
- [Coyote] She's coming right into view.
(dramatic suspenseful music)
We find ourselves fixed right
in the middle of a full on jaguar hunt.
(grass rustling)
(dramatic suspenseful music continues)
(capybaras squeaking)
That was an attempt right there.
That was awesome.
Jaguars are considered super apex predators.
And aside from their grappling retractable claws,
their primary weapons of choice are kept hidden
within their skull.
Robust and relatively short by design,
it is densely packed with muscle, providing them
one of the strongest bite forces of any cat species.
But the teeth, those will send chills down your spine,
right before they snap it.
Specifically designed for penetrating the thick hide
and scales of prey items like caiman,
Just a single bite is powerful enough to crush the back
of a skull or sever the spinal column,
rendering their victim completely helpless.
When it comes to being an effective killer,
nothing in the mammalian kingdom
is more lethal than a jaguar.
And one way that we're able to keep an eye on the cat
without physically seeing her is just watching the movement
of the grasses, which are much taller than she is
and also the flight of birds
because the birds are the first alarm sign
that a cat is in the area.
Okay, so the jaguars decided to forge the river.
It is swimming from one embankment to the other.
It's a very wide stretch.
We're just giving her lots of space so we don't spook her.
And she's gonna try to hunt this other shoreline
where hopefully there will be some better options for food.
(suspenseful music)
(suspenseful music continues)
(dramatic suspenseful music)
Oh, she missed.
Oh, so close! My heart's racing.
Ah!
(laughs) Abbie, how did she miss that one?
- You saw how she kind of like
was trying to grab with her hands.
Sometimes they get a hold
and then she'd get a hold with her mouth
and start rolling in the water, but it's escaped again.
- Ah, what a close call.
So Abbie, we're getting into another cat's territory.
Estela's, who we saw last night.
Will she hunt in Estela's territory?
- Yeah. Yeah, she'll, she'll continue to hunt here.
If Estela feels like she's gonna get too close to her kill
there could be a cat fight.
- Wait a second.
Estela caught a caiman last night?
(sighs) Yes she did.
And wouldn't you know it, we just missed it.
We had been watching her sleep for several hours
but chose to go down river to film a couple drone shots
since she didn't seem very active.
Then all of a sudden a call came over the radio waves
and boats began rushing to the area where we left Estela.
And as we arrived the last thing we saw
was her pulling a caiman up the embankment and out of sight.
Ah, talk about frustrating.
- We missed a hunting behavior.
We missed a jaguar catching a caiman.
We had the opportunity for the shot. We had it.
- It's unfortunate, but it is what it is.
We gotta move on and we'll find a way to get the shot
and that's the nature of what it is.
- I imagine that these two have already encountered before,
like their territories overlap, but when food's involved
it's a different story, you know?
- We'll see what happens.
Well, we lost the cat.
Patricia disappeared up over a hill
and deeper into the jungle
and we have not seen her for about 20 minutes now.
The good news is that all the boats are gone.
We are the only boat out here now
and we got the closest we have been
to filming a jaguar catching a caiman.
She literally had her paw on the front of the reptile,
but unfortunately it thrashed, got away
and she remains hungry.
Just as we remain hungry for capturing this amazing shot.
We are all so busy trying to fight
for the life that we want,
that most of us never take the time to slow down
and appreciate the very moment we are living in.
The jaguar lives and dies by its daily moments.
There are no opinions, no influences,
no regrets for being anything other than exactly
what they are, perfectly designed survival machines.
Unfortunately, we never reconnected with Patricia.
But two days after our departure from the Pantanal
our friend and wildlife photographer
Marlin du Toit witnessed Patricia finally catching a caiman.
(dramatic tense music)
Jaguars can sometimes go days without having a meal.
It's all about being in the right place at the right time.
And when it comes to filming a kill shot
the exact same philosophy applies.
What an amazing experience,
getting to explore the Brazilian Pantanal
for seven straight days, filming its most
celebrated apex predator, the jaguar.
Big thanks to Biodiverse Brazil tours
for getting us into the environment.
And a big thanks to Abbie Martin and the jaguar ID project
for making us a part of their conservation research.
I'm Coyote Peterson.
Be brave.
Stay wild.
We'll see you on the next adventure.
Abbie is a light of hope in the world of conservation.
Her story and undying commitment to the preservation
of these jaguars goes beyond the physical realm
and transcends into the spiritual domain.
She truly is the mother of jaguars
and her work is worthy of a standing ovation.
If you want to learn more
or consider donating to the continued protection
and monitoring of this jaguar population
make sure to visit the jaguar ID project.
And if you want to embark upon a grand adventure of your own
Biodiverse Brazil Tours will gladly get you
into the realm of these iconic cats.
Guys, I'm super excited to announce
that we just dropped some special edition jaguar merch.
There's two super cool shirts and a Brazil theme bandana
some of which I've autographed.
If you're interested and want to grab yours
they're available now @shopbravewilderness.com.
(animals howling)