Biodiversity and jaguar tourism initiatives expand in Brazil

In the Brazilian Cerrado, the Grupo Bom Jesus has implemented the ‘Patas do Cerrado’ project across 25 units in the Center-West region. The initiative uses photographs taken by field employees to document local fauna, including jaguars, maned wolves, and tapirs. This database serves as an environmental education tool to increase biodiversity awareness among staff. Since its inception in 2024, the project has recorded over 1,800 sightings.

Simultaneously, the National Association of Wildlife Observation Tourism (TOVS) and WWF-Brazil are conducting a study in the Pantanal to evaluate the economic and social impacts of jaguar-watching tourism. The research focuses on a 145-kilometer stretch from the Transpantaneira highway to the Encontro das Águas State Park. The study aims to determine how wildlife tourism drives regional income and how it can be structured to support environmental conservation.