All language subtitles for Travel.Quest.With.Bill.Ball.S02E05.CONVERT.1080p.HDTV.H264-CBFM

BILL BALL: There is a place
in the New World

where, on safari, the animal numbers
and species count

can rival that of the greatest
national parks in Africa,

where big cats dominate the landscape

and where rodents are gigantic,
birds colourful

and snakes reach lengths
found nowhere else on Earth.

This may sound scary or disgusting,

but it is actually one of
the most beautiful places

the world has to offer.

This land of primal splendour

is the immense marshlands

of Brazil's Pantanal.

And it is my quest
to explore this animal-rich land

and discover its wildlife wealth

and learn how it can be saved
for future generations.

Since I was young,
I had an intense desire

to discover the world around me.

That hasn't changed,

just the level of adventure.

Now every journey has a purpose,

and each time I venture out

to explore new destinations
around the globe,

I am following my Travel Quest.

Brazil is the largest country
in South America

and is growing into
an economic powerhouse.

As host of the 2014 World Cup
and the 2016 Olympics,

it proved itself on the world stage.

I came to this emerging country

to track and find
the Pantanal safari eight -

these are the peccary,
giant river otter, giant anteater,

jabiru stork, hyacinth macaw,
caiman, marsh deer

and the remarkable capybara.

I have never seen three
of these elusive creatures

and others only once or twice before.

This is going to be
a tough challenge.

But we will visit the Pantanal
by boat, car and on foot

to maximise our chances.

But that's not the whole story.

I'm intrigued by a new grassroots
conservation movement

here in Brazil.

I want to learn
if and how it is working

and how it can be extended
beyond Brazil's borders.

We'll begin our adventure
in the vast marshlands and savanna

of the northern Pantanal.

No trip into the wilderness
of Brazil can begin

without first touching down in
either Sao Paulo or Rio de Janeiro.

My preference has to go to Rio -

Rio or nothing.

Sao Paulo is a great business city,

but Rio is where the fun is.

The first Europeans -
Portuguese in this case -

arrived in the Rio bay
on January of 1502.

Seeing a large river
flowing into the Rio bay,

they called it January River,

or Rio de Janeiro.

The native people had already been in
the Rio area for thousands of years,

living a subsistence lifestyle.

The Indigenous people
had small villages

and a decentralised form
of governance.

This fragmented society was easy
pickings for the Portuguese,

who seized the land
in the name of God and country

with little resistance.

Tourism in Rio continues to grow,
fuelled by popular festivals

like Carnival
and the New Year's Eve,

with its two mountain attractions,

Corcovado, better known
as Christ the Redeemer,

and the dual cable car ride
to Sugarloaf.

I love the vibe of Rio.

Some cities,
particularly the great ones,

have a unique and distinct feel.

Like New York, Vegas, New Orleans,
Paris, London or Florence.

Rio has that special something

that entices me to spend time there
every visit to Brazil,

no matter the reason.

One of the musts
for a first-time visitor

is trying the national drink.

Uh, one cautionary note -

I often forget it myself -

everyone makes the potency
of the drink a bit different.

Whoa!

As much as I love Rio,
I did not come to party.

Well, at least not this time.

I came to explore the modern
conservation ideals of the Pantanal.

Getting to the Pantanal,
though, is no easy feat.

The closest airport is in Cuiaba,

and all flights from Rio go through
the capital city of Brasilia.

Once in Cuiaba, there are
about 60 miles of paved road

before you hit the gravel
Transpantaneira road.

Depending on the pousada you stay at,

the ride on the gravel road
can be a long one.

But wildlife abounds along the road,

so the safari begins
the moment you hit it.

Stay at two or even three pousadas
along the road.

The wildlife differs at each

depending on the abundance of water

and the types of plants
found on the property.

Our goal in the Pantanal

is to see as many
of the safari eight as possible.

As I've already said,

luck is at least half of the equation
in seeing wildlife.

Before we even got started,

we catch an extremely lucky break!

One of the hardest
of the eight to see,

the giant anteater
literally drives by us.

We had chosen the Rio Claro Pousada
as our first night

specifically to have a chance
to see the strange-looking beast.

Their front legs are armed
with razor-sharp claws

used to dig open
cement-hard termite mounds,

and their mouth
is really a modified nose

with a super long, sticky tongue

used to scoop up
the termites they expose.

Our lucky break is running
into the local wildlife police

who have captured two anteaters
in the nearby village

and are going to release them
back into the wild.

The second anteater is
the lesser anteater, or the tamandua,

a smaller, arboreal version
of the safari eight member.

Both are extremely rare

and in the wild
it is so hard to see them,

and it's especially incredible
to be part of this dual release.

Both animals were checked
by a veterinarian, to ensure

that they were healthy enough
to release back in the Pantanal.

They were particularly worried
about the giant anteater,

since he was found hiding in...

..a doghouse.

As we move to get into position
to film the giant anteater's release,

he pushes his way out of the cage
and is gone in a flash.

A missed opportunity.

The lesser anteater
is more cooperative.

In fact, he is just the opposite
of his bigger cousin -

he's too shy to move.

He finally realises he's free
and rushes to climb the nearest tree.

One down, and seven to go.

Having gotten a free pass
on the first of our big eight,

I decided to take our luck
on the river in a boat safari.

In the northern end
of the Transpantaneira road,

there is a little chance of seeing
some species like the Jaguar,

but more of an opportunity
for others, like the giant anteater.

When you're looking for wildlife,

you follow the same safari rules,
no matter where you are.

You look all over the river,
you look on the shore,

you look up in the trees,

because wildlife and birds
can pop up anywhere.

Putting into practice what I preach,
we hit the birding paydirt early -

black-collared hawk, a fishing bird,

and in the blink of an eye

we are awesomely lucky
to see one catch their lunch.

The river is full of fish

and the birds make the most of it.

For safari eight hunting,
that is hopeful,

because both giant otters
and caiman are fish eaters.

Sticking to another
of my safari rules,

don't dwell on just seeing one or two
particular animal species.

The river is full of life

and you should take advantage
of every minute.

The variety and diversity
is astounding.

Roberto, our local guide,
has sharp eyes

and spots wildlife
that I would have missed.

All the tropical favourites
are here,

from monkeys to toucans.

With all the species we saw,

I almost forgot about
the safari eight challenge -

almost, but not quite.

Not surprisingly,
we spot a caiman in the river.

In the Pantanal,
the caiman are quite plentiful,

but the first one seen
is always a thrill.

Two down, six to go.

A good start on the north end
of the road bode well for us.

The southern extreme of
the Transpantaneira is more wild

and that is exactly where
we're heading.

The gravel road is slow travelling,
but that is actually good,

since there is
so much wildlife on the way

and our third member of the eight
is spotted not far off the road -

a marsh deer.

One of four deer species
found in the Pantanal,

this is by far the biggest.

Its name speaks for itself -

it flourishes in the wetlands
of the Pantanal.

The Transpantaneira road
runs for about 100 miles

with no service stations
or stores along the route.

Once you start down this byway,

you better have all the gas, food
and supplies you will need.

Since the Pantanal is a giant swamp,

bridges are installed
every half mile or so

to allow the water to flow

through a series
of creeks and channels,

keeping the road open
even in the wettest season.

That is, until disaster strikes.

The road is bad enough
when it rains,

but there's 132 bridges to cross,

and once in a while someone
doesn't hit the boards just right

and this is what happens.

The bridges are simple wooden planks

with two extra-sturdy beams
running the parallel

the length of a car's axis.

This truck drove off
the main planks

and broke through
the smaller support beams.

I think this is all the farther
we're going to go today.

There's no way
around the bridge and...

..this bridge is out.

Just as it appeared
our journey had to end,

a local volunteered to help.

You go across the river!

Alright, well, I told you
that this was the end of the road.

Maybe not.

We're gonna try something
really crazy.

We've got a four-wheel drive vehicle
that's going to tie up against us

and try to pull us
through the river.

Now, I don't know
if it's gonna work or not.

My friends are still in the vehicle.

I'm up here on the bridge,
you know, kind of like a general,

making sure
that everything goes right.

But just a few feet from the bank

the back tyres get stuck
in a deep trench.

A second truck is hitched up

and with one more final pull...

MAN: Whoo-hoo!

Clear road ahead, our destination was
the Jaguar Ecological Reserve.

The reserve's cabins
are a welcome sight

after the harrowing experience
at the bridge.

No-one goes to the Pantanal
because of the accommodations,

yet they're an integral part

because of all the wildlife
you find on the grounds.

They have everything you need -

the toilet, the hot water,
the air conditioning -

but they're not fancy.

But you don't go to the Pantanal
for the accommodations.

The Jaguar Reserve is not only one
of the better maintained properties,

but its size - just 12 units -

and location
deep within the Pantanal

make it a great choice.

There is plenty of wildlife
on the property,

including both
of the safari eight bird species.

On the tallest tree on the property,
just 10 paces from my cabin,

nests the jabiru stork,

the largest bird in the New World.

These seven-foot-wingspan jumbo jets
patrol the grounds

looking for small reptiles,
amphibians and mammals.

Sharing this magnificent tree is
the other bird of the safari eight,

a flock of hyacinth macaws,

the largest macaw

and, with its bright blue colour,
one of the most beautiful.

Five down, three to go.

Walking on the road
in front of the lodge,

I see something that surprises me,

which is seeming to be the norm
for the Pantanal.

This is one of the most
unusual things I've ever seen.

What you're looking at
is a huge number of moths

swooping down and getting a drink
out of these puddles.

Now, what makes it really unusual

is that moths have
overlapping scales on their wings

that, if they get wet,
they won't be able to fly.

So they have to time this
incredibly well.

I was surprised to see this
speedy drinking style for moths

until I ran into this.

Nature has a way of adapting,

so that speed drinking
of these obviously tasty moths

can help them not be too easy
pickings for these hungry cuckoos.

Not far from the reserve's entrance,
we spot another of the safari eight -

a collared peccary.

These piglike mammals will eat
just about anything,

and so are no friends to farmers.

Now we have six - two to go.

Sometimes, to see nature,
you have to be a part of it.

So I decided to walk along the road,

hoping to see another of
the safari eight -

the capybara.

These are giant rodents -

in fact, the largest in the world.

My hunch was right.

Imagine if the capybara's relative,
the house mouse,

was as big as this guy.

You would need
one gigantic mousetrap.

Seven down, one to go.

Where there are capybara,

there is almost always
certainly caiman.

They share the same environment

because they are not
food competitive.

Capybaras are vegetarians,
while caiman are fish eaters.

They are both the primary food
for the apex predator

and my quest last year - the jaguar.

Well, we found the first sign

of the most sought-after animal
in the Pantanal, the jaguar.

And these prints are pretty recent

because the mud around it is soft

and there's actually a little piece
of a broken leaf here

that's still green.

So, the female jaguar
could be anywhere ahead of us.

The setting sun was our cue
to track the jaguar.

Even though I saw one last year,

it would be astounding
to do it again.

After an hour of quiet,
almost sleepily tracking,

we see a big animal
on the road ahead.

Could it be?

No.

No jaguar tonight.

So we have to live by the moniker,
there's always tomorrow.

The wildlife along the river
is as diverse as anywhere on Earth.

Birders will find it
particularly fascinating,

with hundreds of species
to add to their life list.

For me, what is even better
than checking a bird off a list

is observing a rare
or unexpected behaviour.

We pulled our boat next to
a colony of yellow-rumped caciques.

They build huge hanging nests,
like orioles on steroids.

I immediately saw
the first colony invader,

an orange-backed troupial.

Though they look similar,
they have quite different habits.

The orange-backs steal nests,
not build them.

You might say they're colonisers.

The caciques gang up
and easily handle this threat.

But a more deadly threat appears -
a menace so terrifying

that it threatens
the very existence of the colony.

The deadly threat?

A toucan.

The toucan's image

of a friendly, fruit-eating
ambassador of tropical South America?

Eh, not so much.

Toucans Use their long bills
to reach inside nests

and eat the fledgling chicks.

The caciques are too small
to fight off a toucan,

but they have a secret weapon -

their nests.

They are deeper
than his bill can reach

and too tightly woven to tear apart.

Survival of the fittest.

The river is the lifeblood
of the Pantanal.

Here, the safari eight thrive
in great numbers.

Capybara are huge animals,
weighing between 100lb and 175lb.

Since you can approach them
closely in a boat,

their immense size is impressive.

They are strictly vegetarians,
so it just goes to show

that eating healthy is not always
good for the figure.

As I mentioned before,
where you find capybara,

caiman are sure to be near.

The river is full of caiman.

These big boys are
a throwback to the dinosaurs,

having changed little
in 25 million years.

And why change what works?

They are efficient predators
that can go weeks without eating.

They're fast swimmers

and can challenge a human
in a sprint on land.

Nature's perfect fish hunter.

We had seen quite a bit
on our boat safari,

but we had yet to add the final
safari eight member to the list.

We had been travelling up and down
the river for over five hours

and between the intense sun, humidity
and the 90-degrees-plus temperature,

we were fading fast.

Then, just as we were
about to give up...

There's some splashing up ahead,

and it looks like it could be
some of the giant river otters.

It is not hard to understand
why they are called the river wolf,

as they successfully caught
fish after fish.

Behind me are some of the rarest
animals in South America.

These carnivores, the giant
river otter, is almost extinct,

and we've just run into
a huge family of them

and they're fishing,
eating what looks like piranha.

Measuring over five feet long,

they are the biggest
freshwater otters in the world.

Driven nearly to extinction
by pelt hunters,

they are now protected,
and slowly recovering.

This is the way
a day is supposed to end -

the final safari eight done
and checked off my list.

Our schedule was jam-packed
with vehicle, foot and boat safaris,

trying to see the safari eight.

But I had another interest,

more important than merely
seeing the wildlife.

I wanted to know how ecotourism
evolved in the Pantanal.

It was obvious this was not
a centrally controlled national park

like the ones in the US,

but a series of private homesteads
with tourist accommodations.

I had a chance to sit down and chat
with the owner and chief guide

of the Jaguar Ecological Reserve,
Eduardo Falcao.

Now this is called
the Jaguar Ecological Reserve.

Yes, Jaguar Ecological Reserve.

How did that come about?
What's the story behind that?

I knew an American here.
His name is Douglas Trent.

He is a president from NGO
Focus Conservation Fund.

It seems that not only do you
know everybody around here,

but everybody's related to you.

We are living here
for more than two generations

before roads,
before tourists coming here.

The Pantaneiros
that still are raising cattle

but they've got ecotourism,

they're willing to allow occasional
cattle get taken by a jaguar

so that it becomes more natural now?

Yes. And it is illegal
to hunt jaguars here.

If you have cattle, if the jaguar
eating some cattle,

this is OK for us, because we are
win money with the ecotourism.

The jaguar is the highlight

and the most tourists come here
to see jaguars.

If we kill the Jaguars, is illegal.

Also, if you kill,
no jaguars for tourists.

I don't know anywhere else in
the world that private individuals

independently started
a series of reserves

that ultimately serves
the same function as a national park.

So, what you're saying, then, is

tourism actually turned out
to be good for the animals?

Very good. Very good.
My father was a jaguar hunter.

He was selling caiman skin
and the...

Now, is not selling,
more than 40 years ago.

The wildlife mix may be changing.

The Pantanal is not all wetlands.

Eduardo volunteered to take me
to a part of his property

where it is more
tropical rainforest than marsh.

The forest hike revealed another
side of the Pantanal,

this one with crazy giant vines,

termites that don't eat trees
but live in them,

and monkeys whose male and females
look completely different.

When I said crazy jungle vines,
I meant it.

Get this - since we are
south of the equator,

all the vines wrap themselves
around the trees counterclockwise!

And if that isn't weird enough,

the termites here
live in the tops of trees,

so they don't eat wood at all.

They munch down on dead and decaying
vegetation - leaf litter.

But these insects are tiny
and vulnerable,

so they devise the ultimate defence.

Not all forest creatures are small.

Some are big, and one is
a major draw for the Pantanal -

monkeys.

The most common
are the howler monkeys,

and they're found throughout
the forested edges of the region.

The wild thing about these primates

is not their vocalisation,
which can be ear-shattering,

but that male and female
are completely different colours.

Once thought to be separate species,
we now know it is simply dimorphism.

You have to admire the way
both animals and people

have adapted
to this harsh environment.

The richness of the Pantanal's story

almost overshadows
the species count.

Nah, I said almost.

At the end of our Pantanal stay,
our safari eight count was complete -

giant anteater,

peccary,

giant otter,

marsh deer,

capybara,

hyacinth macaw,

jabiru stork,

and the caiman.

Few safaris end with all the
sought animals being checked off.

This was one of those rare times.

We got all the Pantanal eight
we were after

plus howler monkeys, toucans
and those crazy diving moths.

More importantly, I met Eduardo,

who is part of a new conservation
movement powered by ecotourists.

The Pantanal is one of the most
important habitats in the world,

so we all have a stake in preserving
it for future generations.

Captions by Red Bee Media
(c) SBS Australia 2023