- The Pantanal covers an area of up to 195,000km2 (or 75,000 sq. miles).
- It is 10 times the size of Florida's Everglades.
- The ecosystem is home to about 1,000 bird species, 400 fish species, 300 mammals and 480 reptiles.
- Average yearly rainfall is 1,000-1,400mm (40-55 inches).
- Over 80% of the Pantanal floodplains are submerged during the rainy seasons.
- The name "Pantanal" comes from the Portuguese word pântano, meaning wetland, bog, swamp or marsh.
- John Grisham's novel The Testament largely takes place in the Pantanal.
Facts & Figures
Pantanal, South America
What WWF is doing
Wetland wonderland
Extending hundreds of thousands of square kilometres across central-western Brazil, eastern Bolivia and eastern Paraguay, the Pantanal is a mosaic of flooded grasslands, savannahs and tropical forests.
This pristine landscape is brimming with the greatest concentration of wildlife in South America. Among the rarest animals to inhabit the wetland are the jaguar (Panthera onca), hyacinth macaw (Anodorhyncus hyacinthinus), giant river otter (Pteroneura brasiliensis) and marsh deer (Blastocerus dichotomus).Thousands of water bird, plant, fish and reptile species thrive in the endless patchwork of lakes, lagoons, rivers and marshes.
Pantanal preservation
Although large areas of the Pantanal remain untouched, it is threatened by expanding human settlement, unsustainable farming practices, illegal mining, hydroelectric power plant construction and unregulated tourism.
When compared to other wetlands in the world, the Pantanal is regarded as the most preserved, but still less than 2% is under government protection.
WWF is working on the ground to conserve the region through the creation of protected areas and promoting sustainable use of natural resources.
Where is the Pantanal?
Surrounded by forests
The Pantanal is bounded by the Chiquitano dry forests to the west and northwest, by the Arid Chaco dry forests to the southwest and the Humid Chaco to the south. The Cerrado savannahs lie to the north, east and southeast.
Covering 21% of central Brazil, the Cerrado is the most extensive woodland-savannah in South America. The region supports a unique array of plant species that have adapted to drought and fire. Large mammals such as the jaguar and maned wolf survive here but compete with the rapid expansion of Brazil's agricultural frontier and ranching activities. WWF is working to ensure that large parts of the Brazilian Cerrado are conserved.