522
Fauna
The Pantanal ecosystem also supports about
1,000, 400, 300, 480 and more than 9,000 species
of birds, fi sh, mammals, reptiles and invertebrates,
respectively. The rare animals inhabiting the
wetland of the Pantanal are the marsh deer
( Blastocerus dichotomus ) and the giant river otter
( Pteronura brasiliensis ). Parts of the Pantanal are
also home for the following endangered or
threatened species, like the hyacinth macaw
( Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus , a bird endangered
due to smuggling), the crowned solitary eagle, the
jaguar ( Panthera onca ), the maned wolf
( Chrysocyon brachyurus ), the bush dog ( Speothos
venaticus ), the capybara ( Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris ), the South American tapir ( Tapirus terrestris ), the giant anteater ( Myrmecophaga tridactyla )
and the Yacare caiman ( Caiman yacare ). The
Pantanal is the habitat for one of the largest and
healthiest jaguar populations on the earth.
Most of the fi shes of Pantanal wetland are
detritivores. They primarily ingest fi ne particles
from sediments and plant surfaces. This is characteristic of the fi shes living in South American
fl oodplains, in general. Fish migration between
river channels and fl oodplain regions occurs seasonally. These fi shes have many adaptations
which enable them to survive in the oxygendepleted fl oodplain waters.
In addition to the caiman, the following reptiles
inhabit the Pantanal: the yellow anaconda
( Eunectes notaeus ), the gold tegu ( Tupinambis
teguixin ), the red-footed tortoise ( Geochelone carbonaria ) and the green iguana ( Iguana Iguana ).
Threats to the Pantanal
There are many threats to the Pantanals. However,
until recently, there has been a semi-balance
between human use of the Pantanal region
(particularly for cattle ranching during the dry
season) and the ecological functions of the
region. But the ecological health of the Pantanal
is in a state of uneasiness. Some of the rivers are
polluted with metals, particularly mercury from
gold mining activity, and by agrochemicals from
farms. Pantanal provides revenue from tourism.
It is also the site of unlawful wildlife traffi cking
and cocaine smuggling. Enforcement of law is
diffi cult in such a remote wetland and prohibitively
expensive. An International Project was agreed
by fi ve South American countries in 1988 at the
First International Meeting for the Development
of Paraguay–Parana’ Waterway in Campo
Grande, Brazil. This project was aimed to develop
the Paraguay and Parana’ rivers into a 3,340-km
waterway. Since then, there had been a fl urry of
activities by both developers and environmentalists on this project. The political and economic
will to see this project completed is as great as the
uncertainties of the effects which this enormous
project will have on the Pantanal.
The Pantanal region includes essential sanctuaries for migratory birds, critical nursery grounds
for aquatic life and refuges for the less abundant
black caiman, deer and jaguar.
However, the main human activities which
threaten the Pantanal ecosystems are as follows:
(a) commercial fi shing focused mainly on a few
species, which is, probably, not sustainable; (b)
national and international sport fi shing, e.g. in the
Paraguay river and its tributaries; (c) cattle ranching, mainly because c 99 % of the land in the
Pantanal is privately owned for the purpose of
agriculture and ranching; (d) erosion and sedimentation caused due to various kinds of interventions; (e) hunting and smuggling of
endangered species, notably certain reptiles, wild
cats and parrots are particularly at risk from the
smuggling industry due to their high value in the
unauthorised markets; (f) unregulated tourism
and overuse of natural resources; (g) deforestation, which occurs more in the elevated areas of
the Pantanal which have more forests and less
lowland grassy areas; (h) as such, silt run-off
from deforested highlands alters the soil hydrology and is a signifi cant threat to the Pantanal; (i)
mercury pollution, mainly from gold mining
operations, pollution from agro-industries, sewage systems, etc.; (j) nevertheless, the Pantanal is
a natural water treatment system, as it removes
chemicals, including pollutants, from water
(however, over-pollution from industrial development (especially gold mining) may harm
native fl ora and fauna); (k) development of land
for transport (shipping canals and raised roads);
and (l) dredging of the Paraguay and Parana
23 Wetlands of America
Fauna
The Pantanal ecosystem also supports about
1,000, 400, 300, 480 and more than 9,000 species
of birds, fi sh, mammals, reptiles and invertebrates,
respectively. The rare animals inhabiting the
wetland of the Pantanal are the marsh deer
( Blastocerus dichotomus ) and the giant river otter
( Pteronura brasiliensis ). Parts of the Pantanal are
also home for the following endangered or
threatened species, like the hyacinth macaw
( Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus , a bird endangered
due to smuggling), the crowned solitary eagle, the
jaguar ( Panthera onca ), the maned wolf
( Chrysocyon brachyurus ), the bush dog ( Speothos
venaticus ), the capybara ( Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris ), the South American tapir ( Tapirus terrestris ), the giant anteater ( Myrmecophaga tridactyla )
and the Yacare caiman ( Caiman yacare ). The
Pantanal is the habitat for one of the largest and
healthiest jaguar populations on the earth.
Most of the fi shes of Pantanal wetland are
detritivores. They primarily ingest fi ne particles
from sediments and plant surfaces. This is characteristic of the fi shes living in South American
fl oodplains, in general. Fish migration between
river channels and fl oodplain regions occurs seasonally. These fi shes have many adaptations
which enable them to survive in the oxygendepleted fl oodplain waters.
In addition to the caiman, the following reptiles
inhabit the Pantanal: the yellow anaconda
( Eunectes notaeus ), the gold tegu ( Tupinambis
teguixin ), the red-footed tortoise ( Geochelone carbonaria ) and the green iguana ( Iguana Iguana ).
Threats to the Pantanal
There are many threats to the Pantanals. However,
until recently, there has been a semi-balance
between human use of the Pantanal region
(particularly for cattle ranching during the dry
season) and the ecological functions of the
region. But the ecological health of the Pantanal
is in a state of uneasiness. Some of the rivers are
polluted with metals, particularly mercury from
gold mining activity, and by agrochemicals from
farms. Pantanal provides revenue from tourism.
It is also the site of unlawful wildlife traffi cking
and cocaine smuggling. Enforcement of law is
diffi cult in such a remote wetland and prohibitively
expensive. An International Project was agreed
by fi ve South American countries in 1988 at the
First International Meeting for the Development
of Paraguay–Parana’ Waterway in Campo
Grande, Brazil. This project was aimed to develop
the Paraguay and Parana’ rivers into a 3,340-km
waterway. Since then, there had been a fl urry of
activities by both developers and environmentalists on this project. The political and economic
will to see this project completed is as great as the
uncertainties of the effects which this enormous
project will have on the Pantanal.
The Pantanal region includes essential sanctuaries for migratory birds, critical nursery grounds
for aquatic life and refuges for the less abundant
black caiman, deer and jaguar.
However, the main human activities which
threaten the Pantanal ecosystems are as follows:
(a) commercial fi shing focused mainly on a few
species, which is, probably, not sustainable; (b)
national and international sport fi shing, e.g. in the
Paraguay river and its tributaries; (c) cattle ranching, mainly because c 99 % of the land in the
Pantanal is privately owned for the purpose of
agriculture and ranching; (d) erosion and sedimentation caused due to various kinds of interventions; (e) hunting and smuggling of
endangered species, notably certain reptiles, wild
cats and parrots are particularly at risk from the
smuggling industry due to their high value in the
unauthorised markets; (f) unregulated tourism
and overuse of natural resources; (g) deforestation, which occurs more in the elevated areas of
the Pantanal which have more forests and less
lowland grassy areas; (h) as such, silt run-off
from deforested highlands alters the soil hydrology and is a signifi cant threat to the Pantanal; (i)
mercury pollution, mainly from gold mining
operations, pollution from agro-industries, sewage systems, etc.; (j) nevertheless, the Pantanal is
a natural water treatment system, as it removes
chemicals, including pollutants, from water
(however, over-pollution from industrial development (especially gold mining) may harm
native fl ora and fauna); (k) development of land
for transport (shipping canals and raised roads);
and (l) dredging of the Paraguay and Parana
23 Wetlands of America