Aquidauana: Pantaneiro Cowboys & Southern Pantanal Life
The Aquidauana River region is the cultural heart of the southern Pantanal — the pantaneiro cowboy culture, the fazenda cattle ranches, and the Pantanal's extraordinary seasonal flooding are experienced here
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Pantaneiro cowboy culture
The Pantaneiro - the Pantanal cowboy - works in the flooded wetland on horseback, managing livestock through seasonal floods; their skills, equipment and oral tradition are adaptations to a unique work environment
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Fazenda Cattle Ranching
The Pantanal fazendas that have survived as cattle ranches - running cattle on seasonal flood plains - are now also ecotourism destinations; staying at a working fazenda reveals the rhythm of Pantanal life
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Aquidauana River Boat Tours
The Aquidauana River which flows into the Pantanal is explored by boat — jaguars, giant otters and capybaras are found along the river, and the bird life is exceptional
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Nhecolândia Pantanal Lakes
The sub-region of Nhecolândia - with thousands of seasonal lakes - is the most biodiverse in the southern Pantanal; the concentration of wildlife in the lakes during the dry season is extraordinary
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Piranha fishing tradition
Piranha fishing in the Pantanal Lakes – a traditional Pantaneiro activity done with simple lines and raw meat bait – is a cultural institution; the fish is cleaned and grilled fresh by the lake
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Flooding and community adaptation
Pantanal communities adapted to seasonal flooding – the raised floor houses, boat bridges and agricultural calendar aligned with the flood cycle – represent generations of ecological knowledge