The Pantanal in South America

Two-week-old Yacaré caimans stick their necks out in the Pantanal, the world’s largest freshwater wetlands. The South American flooded plains are a gigantic nursery for aquatic life—such as these alligator relatives—and, when the waters recede, for flocks of birds and mammals that feast on the dry land’s rich offerings. The Pantanal and the neighboring region of Gran Chaco Forest provide refuge and migration routes to countless wildlife species, such as the jaguar, giant anteater, giant river otter, maned wolf, and tapir. A new collaboration among The Pew Charitable Trusts and the region’s national, local, and Indigenous governments aims to preserve the rich landscape that spans 305 million acres across parts of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay by 2027.