Photo stories
Jaguars return to Iberá wetlands after 70-year absence
Located in the tropical north of Argentina, Iberá is a 1.7 million acre wilderness of parklands. It once formed part of a biological corridor for jaguars that stretched to the American Southwest.
A rich mosaic of wetlands, grasslands, savanna, palm groves and gallery forests, Iberá is home to the endemic neotropical otter, maned wolf, marsh deer and yacare caiman.
And as of January 2021, jaguars are free-roaming in the park for the first time in 70 years thanks to a collaboration between local authorities and the brilliant folk at Rewilding Argentina.
A one-of-a-kind facility, the Jaguar Reintroduction Center, located in the wetlands, has so far bred six cubs. Two of these and their mother have just migrated from their enclosure.
Just as the return of gray wolves to Yellowstone National Park recalibrated whole ecosystems that had fallen out of balance, the return of jaguars will do likewise for Iberá.
Jaguars will not only help the wetlands to recover from decades of cattle grazing and hunting, they have also long been a cultural symbol of strength for the Guaraní people.
As the three jaguars sniff out their new tropical surrounds, one of the young cubs initially looks a little bit unsure of the big, wide world that it'll now call home...
... but the other cub is quick to provide some reassurance. There are only around 200 jaguars in Argentina, with another nine expected to be released here in 2021.
Like other top predators, jaguars are a keystone species in the ecosystems, regulating the environment through predation, supporting the abundance of other species.
As well as the jaguars, red-and-green macaws are also living wild in Iberá after a long absence. Chicks born here in November 2020 were the first to be born in the wild for 150 years.
This a special place to visit, described by Pura team member Linda as "a place of rich and layered natural beauty, like stepping lightly into a world where nature still dictates everything."
Each day you can explore on foot, by kayak or by boat, rising early with the birds, watching sunset with a drink and venturing out after dark to see nocturnal creatures up close.
As well as Iberá, the foundation is working to protect pumas, sea lions and more in Patagonia. You can visit three of their projects on our special Rewilding Argentina vacation.
