Wildlife Safari Adventure: Discovering Paraguay’s Chaco
We recently embarked on an exciting 5-day safari adventure into the Paraguayan Chaco, a region we knew very little about. Here’s what we discovered during our excursion:
The term “Chaco” originates from the Quechua language spoken by indigenous Quechua people. It is believed to derive from the Quechuan word “chaku,” meaning “hunting land” or “hunting ground.” Spanish explorers and settlers later adopted the term to describe a vast and untamed region they encountered in South America. This is a wild land, characterized by hard thorny flora and diverse fauna.
The Paraguayan Chaco region is situated in the western part of the country and can be broadly classified into two main types: the dry Chaco and the humid Chaco. Our safari allowed us to explore both areas.
The dry Chaco is an arid and semi-arid region dominated by thorny shrubs, low trees, and grasses. It experiences hot and dry conditions for most of the year, with limited rainfall occurring only during a few months. This region’s terrain is rugged, featuring dry riverbeds, dry lagunas, blowing dust, and challenging landscapes.
On the other hand, the humid Chaco, also known as the “Chaco Boreal,” serves as a transitional zone between the dry Chaco and the wetlands of the Amazon basin and the Pantanal. It receives a higher average annual rainfall and boasts a more diverse range of vegetation, with marshes, lagunas, and palm forests.
One of the main reasons we were drawn to the Chaco was the opportunity to encounter the exotic wildlife that can be found in this region – some exclusively. Species such as the Jaguar, Puma, Tapir, Giant Anteater, and the Chacoan Peccary call this area home.
To make the most of our Chaco adventure, we enlisted the services of the Paraguay Birding & Nature Agency, who ensured a fast-paced experience, maximum species encounters, and educational expertise from an absolute biological master of the Chaco. Our days began with pre-dawn walks, included daytime hikes for the few animals out in the heat, and ended with late-night hikes and ambushes or car tracking using spotlights. Thankfully, siestas during the afternoon provided a chance to rest in pleasant temperatures indoors. While Rick embarked on more miles-long hikes and was rewarded with the Tapir sighting before sunrise, I was quite happy to live vicariously through his adventures rather than going trekking before dawn.
Thank you Paraguay Birding Nature for sharing these lovely pictures!
During our safari, we had success in spotting a great variety of wild creatures, including the largest of all – the Tapir. We also found five wild cats, (Ocelot and Geoffroy’s Cat), five snakes (four of them Jararaca Pit Vipers of various subspecies, including the Bolivian Lancehead), lots of Caiman (Spectacled and Black), and Armadillos (the 3-Banded and the Screaming Hairy Armadillo (Rick’s new favorite name)). We encountered Foxes (Pampas and Crab-Eating), Mara, Plains Viscacha (cutest chinchilla relative), Yellow-Toothed Cavy, Opossum, and the fascinating fishing Greater Bulldog Bat. We hiked in and set ourselves up in ambush attempts at lagunas, laying in wait for whatever would come to drink. One night in the dark, about an hour after we had hidden at dusk, a large family of White-Lipped Peccaries, with babies, and led by a large boar, approached unaware. Our ambush was too successful for our guide’s liking – he feared the boar’s tusk-led reaction to discovering us so close to his babies.
Birdwatching enthusiasts will find the Chaco a haven, as we discovered. From bright macaws and parrots to the massive Greater Rhea (flightless ostrich and emu relatives), the avian diversity is stunning. So are the outright numbers of the birds (and the noisiness of the parakeets). Crowned Solitary Eagles, and Nacunda Nighthawks are favorites in the Chaco, and we enjoyed the Scissor-Tailed Nightjars hunting bugs on the ground at night. We watched swans and flamingos mingling with ducks, geese, herons, egrets, and so many more on the lagunas and the trees around them. On our hikes in the dry Chaco we found the awesomely-named Chaco Chachalaca, the Black-Legged Seriema, and so many more. In a single night, we spotted four different Owl species (Burrowing, Chacoan, Striped, and Tropical Screech Owl).
Our safari spanned five days and covered three different locations. We first visited Laguna Capitan, a private reserve located in the dry Chaco. The reserve, managed by a Mennonite couple, offered breathtaking views of flamingos and swans, and rich mammal life coming for drinks at dusk and dawn. The area is part of a thriving Mennonite community.
Next, we explored Teniente Enciso National Park, situated in the central dry Chaco. This park forms part of the Paraguayan Chaco Biosphere Reserve, spanning approximately 7.4 million hectares in northern Paraguay. Established in 2007, the park played a role in conserving the historical and ecological significance of the Chaco region. Here, we had the pleasure of encountering the White-Lipped Peccary and lively Seriema birds. We enjoyed walks around the park and engaged in stealthy tracking near a scenic lagoon.
We even set up a motion sensor camera nearby and were rewarded with a sighting of a Puma (although only from the shoulder to the tail), who visited just three hours after camera setup.
It was kind of exciting to see who or what would show up on our motion control camera!
Interestingly, the Teniente Enciso National Park area hosted vicious fighting (and dehydration) during the Chaco War (1932-1935) between Paraguay and Bolivia. Signage displaying trenches and foxholes from the war served as a stark reminder of the challenging conditions faced by soldiers in the Chaco.
Lastly, we visited the Centro Chaqueno para la Conservacion e Investigacion, formerly known as Proyecto Tagua. Situated in Fortín Toledo, within Paraguay’s western region, just inside the humid Chaco boundary and near the Pilcomayo River, this research center plays a vital role in conserving the Chacoan Peccary. The Chacoan Peccary was once considered extinct until its rediscovery in 1975, sparking efforts to prevent its actual extinction. The conservatory collaborates with several universities and zoos worldwide, raising and protecting Chacoan Peccaries to provide to zoos and reintroduce them to other parts of the Chaco. We toured the facility and spent two days and many hours and miles stalking animals in the surrounding humid Chaco territory and finding wildlife.
We were also blessed with the cooking of our driver/spotter/cook guide. We stayed in simple park lodge rooms with separate cooking areas, and he made us delicious meals and even surprised us with flan on our last day. It was a treat to eat healthfully and then run off into the Chaco on a full belly.
Our safari into the Paraguayan Chaco was a remarkable experience, allowing us to appreciate the region’s unique history, remarkable wildlife, and breathtaking landscapes. It was a journey that left us with lasting memories and a deep appreciation for the conservation efforts dedicated to this incredible ecosystem.
*** Double-click the videos to enlarge them
Wow – more great pictures and commentary! I think Rick especially was in his element on the safari – finding all kinds of wildlife early and late everyday and by camera at night! I didn’t realize tapirs were so big! The unidentified cat seemed to like being in the water, and the ocelot was so cute. The snakes are repulsive! The flying owl picture is excellent! Funny names: Screaming Hairy Armadillo and Chachalaca! The peccary encounter was potentially dangerous, but the babies were cute – was the guide armed? Nice camp food! Glad to hear that they are doing much to preserve the land and animals. Thanks for sharing!!