A RECORD  6 JAGUARS AND 3 GIANT ANTEATER SIGHTINGS  DURING A 4 DAY  BOLIVIAN WILDLIE SAFARI

From the 10th to the 13th of June 2022 we embarked on a 4 day Safari of Jaguar land Reserve Bolivia which is located in Santa Cruz Department of Bolivia.  During the tour we managed to have 6 different sightings of Jaguars many of which at close distance.

In addition we also saw multiple Giant Anteaters, Tapirs , Ocelots and even a couple of Bolivian Pink River Dolphins. 

Our European clients could not believe how much wildlife they observed and noted they saw more in Bolivia than the highly popular Brazilian Pantanal which is much more expensive and touristic then Bolivia.

If you are looking to visit South America and want to partake in a wildlife Safari then contact Nicks Adventures Bolivia today 

THE BEST TRAVEL EXPERIENCES IN BOLIVIA

MY PERSONAL FAVOURITE TRAVEL EXPERIENCES IN BOLIVIA  -  From the owners perspective.

 ( PART 1)

For reasons unknown to us , Bolivia is one of the least visited destinations in South America. We know this country better than most and we think its the best kept secret in all of South America if not the world. 

From hiking the Andes Mountains, Sandboarding, marvelling at the Uyuni Salt Flats, Searching for Jaguars in the Amazon Rainforest or exploring the harsh and rarely visited Gran Chao, it has it all.

Here are a list of our personal favourite travel experiences in Bolivia 

1 : Madidi National Park and Alto Madidi 

Topping the list of my favourite travel experiences in Bolivia is Madidi National Park. This was my first real Jungle adventure and a main reason for staying in Bolivia. My first trip of 11 days was mainly searching for Jagaurs and Tapirs and happy to say that i achieved these goals.  This Park is perhas the most Biodiverse National Park on a planet and a MUST VISIT destination while in Bolivia.

2 : Kaa Iya National Park

The Kaa Iya National Park was and is still a dream destination for myself. Basically void of tourism , its one of the worlds best destinations to see Big Cats like Jaguars and Pumas. This 3.4 million hectare protected area has also provided me with my first Giant Armadillo Sightings, Puma sightings and so many close up encounters with the King of the Jungle the Jaguar. 

San Miguelito Jaguar Conservation Reserve 

This Cattle Ranch/ Eco tourism Reserve has a special place in our hearts. For a year i read about camera trap studies about this wonderful area and by chance met the owner, with a bit of convincing and hard work the Eco tourism started. Now this amazing Reserve recives up to 40 plus groups per year all of which loved their time and saw a lot of wildlife. 

UYUNI SALT FLATS 

Not too much else to explain why Uyuni Salt Flats makes the list. Its literally like visiting another planet. A must visit destination when coming to South America. 

THESE ARE JUST A FEW OF MY PERSONAL FAVOURITE TRAVEL EXPERIENCES IN BOLIVIA. Part two will explain my other favourite regions and experiences in Bolivia 

5 REASONS WHY SANTA CRUZ BOLIVIA IS THE BEST WILDLIFE WATCHING DEPARTMENT IN BOLIVIA

5  REASONS WHY SANTA CRUZ DEPARTMENT IS THE BEST WILDLIFE WATCHING REGION IN BOLIVIA

Santa Cruz department is the forgotten wildlife watching paradise of Bolivia. While millions of travellers visit Uyuni, La Paz and Sucre , most skip the most wild areas of Bolivia. The below examples are why Santa Cruz Department should not be missed.

1: BIRDWATCHING PARADISE

If you like birding then Santa Cruz department is the perfect destination, from the countries best Condor watching, though to seeing rare species like Harpy Eagles, Military Macaws and more. Amboro National Park alone boasts over 900 species of birds.

2: JAGUARS 

Want to see a Jaguar ? Santa Cruz department is the best option by far. Kaa Iya National Park, San Miguelito Jaguar Reserve, Noel Kempff and a new private Reserve in Santa Cruz all offer big cat lovers excellent opportunities to see these majestic felines.

3 : UNTOUCHED NATIONAL PARKS 

Santa Cruz department boast some of the most intact and pristine National Parks on the planet. From Noel Kempff, Otuquis National Park and Kaa Iya National Park, these areas are the ideal destinations for intrepid travellers looking for unique flora and fauna.

4 : ANACONDA WATCHING TOURS

Want to observe and photograph an Anaconda in the wild ? The Bolivian Pantanal in the Santa Cruz Department offers the best oppportunity. Otuquis National Park also recieves less than 300 tourists per year so its an incredible place to observe wildlife.

5: PRIVATE RESERVES 

Not only does Santa Cruz department host incredible National Parks, its also the destination of fantastic private Reserves with incredible wildlife watching opportunities. San Miguelito Jaguar Conservation Reserve is the first of these examples and offers tourists an astounding amount of wildlife and activities which cater to everyone. 

These are just a few reasons why Santa Cruz department should not be skipped. If you are an avid nature lover, want to see wildlife and avoid the crowds then Santa Cruz Department is a paradise.

For information about the best wildlife watching trips in Bolivia contact Nicks Adventures Bolivia today. 

WHY YOU MUST VISIT SANTA CRUZ BOLIVIA WHEN TRAVELLING IN BOLIVIA

WHY THE SANTA CRUZ DEPARTMENT MUST BE PART OF YOUR BOLIVIAN ITINEARY

( PART 1 )

Sadly many new age travellers and bloggers only visit places to boost their instagram or readers likes, this means only visiting the same old tired places with little to no imagination of exploring new destinations. We would like to show the more intrepid travellers out there the magical locations of the department of Santa Cruz.

1: JARDIN DE LAS DELICAS WATERFALLS

Just 3 hours from the city of Santa Cruz, these spectacular waterfalls are a must visit attraction in Santa Cruz

SAN MIGUELITO JAGUAR CONSERVATION RESERVE

This amazing private Reserve is just 3.5 hours from Santa Cruz and offers one of the most exciting Jungle trips in Bolivia. Activities include hiking, night walks, setting up and checking camera traps, boat rides, community visits, fishing, 4WD safaris and much more. This area has some of the highest density of Jaguars on the planet.

LOMAS DE ARENA PROTECTED AREA 

  Just 14km from Santa Cruz, this amazing protected area provides travellers one of the best attractions of Bolivia. With over 3000 hectares of dunes and close to 9000 hectares of savannah and forests this Protected area is a nature lovers paradise. Here you can go birdwatching, hiking, swimming in lagoons, sloth watching or even Sandboarding.

In Part two we will explore other amazing tourist attractions and hidden destinations of the Santa Cruz department.

RECORD 5 JAGUARS SEEN DURING OUR KAA IYA NATIONAL PARK JAGUAR SAFARI

AMAZING 5 JAGUARS SEEN DURING OUR BOLIVIAN WILDLIFE WATCHING TOUR 

On the 19th of July we departed for our 5 day wildlife watching tour deep into the Bolivian Chaco, our tourist was an experienced traveller /photographer with over 20 years of expeditions to some of the worlds most wild and remote destinations. His previous trips to the Paraguay Chaco had been successful with a Jaguar and Puma sighting so we had our hard work cut out for us , if we wanted to impress.

The start of our trip was eventful, we saw a pair of rarely seen Huaron, a small weasel type species which was my 2nd only sighting of these mammals. We stopped into the Mission town of San Jose de Chiquitos where we had a buffet lunch before entering the vast forests of the Bolivian Chaco. 

Our first night drive yeilded almost immediate results with a close up sighting of Ocelots and Crab Eating Foxes, they were not in the mood for pictures so we returned to camp ate a freshly prepared meal and got some sleep before a LONG AND EVENTFULL DAY AHEAD.

One of many Ocelot Sightings of the trip.

Day two started with a 4am rise, it was freezing so after a quick coffee and breakfast we departed , focusing our search on a proven area where we have had excellent Jaguar sightings in the past. We had a quiet morning that produced another quick Ocelot sighting and an amazing sighting of an American Own Eating a Woodrail. Something you dont see everyday.

American Horned Owl with a freshly killed Woodrail.

This spectacular Jaguar was the first of our 5 Jaguar sighting. Photo credit Ronan le degac

 As we drove deeper into the vast Chaco we had the spectacular sighing of a huge female Jaguar which was trying to warm up in the suns morning rays ! This was my first ever sighting of this indivual Jaguar and we spent he next hour watching it metres from our 4WD basking in the sun. This was one of the most relaxed Jaguars we had ever seen.

Mating pair of Jaguars, close up sighting

Photo credit : Ronan le degac

 Overjoyed at this incredible sighting we didnt know how much better our day would get, we turned around and headed back for lunch only to be greeted with the incredible sighting of not 1 but two different Jaguars. The female was so small that we initally thought it was a female with its cub , but on close inspection it was male and female.

The male jaguar was very wary of our 4WD and didnt want to be seen , however the young female Jaguar was rolling around on the road just metres in front of our 4WD.

From past experiences we knew that when there is a female Jaguar on heat other Male Jaguars would soon be prowling the area, so after a short rest we ventured out looking for these majestic big cats. After less than 15 minutes and just a few kilometres from our camp we were rewarded with another amazing Jaguar sighting, a young male hot on the scent of the female. This Jaguar didnt like the attention and only stayed around for a few pictures before entering the thick Chaco shrub.

The last Jagaur sighting didnt provide us with any decent photos, but it was an amazing sighting none the less, this huge Male Jagaur was literally sprinting on its way to challenge the other male Jaguar for mating rights, it came again very close to our 4WD before dissapearing into the Jungle. 

Overjoyed with 5 Jaguars in one day we returned to the camp for cold beers , wine and celebration. 

The last few days were quiet in comparison, we had a rushed sighting of a Tapir, many 3 banded Armadillos, a huge troop of White lipped Peccaries, snakes, Monkeys and others. The most impressive sighting was that of two Solitary Peccaries which up until 1973 were declared extinct. This was an extremely rare sighting of this endangered and endemic Peccary.

The incredible sighting of the rarely seen Chaco or Solitary Peccary.

One of our favourites, the interesting 3 banded Armadillo.

With cameras full and memories of a lifetime , we departed the Bolivian Chaco and made our way back to Santa Cruz.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT OUR BOLIVIAN WILDLIFE WATCHING EXPEDITIONS CONTACT US TODAY

DIFFERENT JAGUARS OF SAN MIGUELITO JAGUAR RESERVE 

Amazing sighting of a Jaguar sleeping during an afternoon boat safari at the incredible San Miguelito Jaguar Reserve

San Miguelito Jaguar Reserve is a private property locted just 3.5 hours from the City of Santa Cruz. This reserve was studied in conjunction with Kaa Iya National Park and the results were incredible, this reserve has 11 Jaguars per 100km making it some of the highest densities of Jaguars found anywhere in the world.

In addition to Jaguars this reserve also is home to thriving populations of Puma, Tapirs, Ocelots, Giant Anteaters, Capybara and a huge assortment of birds , amphibians and reptiles of which include the impressive Green Anaconda.

This Reserve is now part of the RUTA DE JAGUAR, and is a conservation project which has been started between the properties owner and local tour operator Nicks Adventures Bolivia with the aim of compensating Ranchers for Cattle Losses caused by Pumas and Jaguars

. In the past many Jaguars were killed here, however since the project has started there have been no Jaguars or Pumas killed on this property.

To monitor the wildlife here, camera traps have been set up around the property and here are some of the best images which have been recorded.

 

As part of the tour, tourists get to check and help set up camera traps on the property

 

A large male Jagaur seen during a canoe trip with tourists

These are just some of many different Jagaurs which have been recorded at the incredible San Miguelito Jagaur Reserve. If you are interested in helping to support this amazing Eco Tourism destination then CONTACT US TODAY 

Money raised from these wildlife watching tours goes directly towards helping to preserve the flora and fauna of this region and also teaches locals that wildife is worth more alive than dead.