In 2017 Pollyanna fulfilled a long held dream – to visit the Pantanal area of Brazil, to search for jaguars.
Extending from the Amazon, the Pantanal is the world’s largest tropical wetland. Bigger than England, it stretches across two Brazilian states and into neighbouring Paraguay and Bolivia. A lattice of waterways swells and recedes with the seasons, giving way to vast savannahs and thick “gallery forests” lining the banks. The region remains wild and remote; most parts can only be accessed by tiring, bone-jangling drives along dirt tracks. Teeming with wildlife, the wetland remains a stronghold for the jaguar, whose original habitat has been reduced by almost 40 per cent across Central and South America.
The jaguar is the largest cat in the Americas. They can be found from the harsh deserts of southern Arizona into the lush rainforests of Central America, and from the Pantanal wetlands all the way down to northern Argentina. However in 40% of the jaguar’s original range the big cat has vanished completely, and almost everywhere they are practically impossible to spot – hunting at night, travelling almost invisibly through the dense rainforests. The Pantanal offers a unique opportunity to observe these impressive predators. Here the jaguar is thriving, with an unusually high population, primarily due to the abundance of prey found in the wetlands – including capybara and deer – but also the world’s highest density of caiman (a crocodile-like reptile). The caiman here are so numerous than in places along the banks of the rivers they are almost piled up on top of one another and many of the jaguars in this area have become specialists in hunting caiman.
Jaguars are extremely good swimmers, and very comfortable in the water. Every day during her stay in the region, Pollyanna would get up before dawn, to head out at first light in a small boat. This stunning image was inspired by her sketches.
This Edition is strictly limited to just 250 copies worldwide
Each is individually numbered and signed
Overall size of print (including border) : 62cm x 38cm
Size of image : 54cm x 23cm
Measurements are approximate
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