South America’s Pantanal

South America’s Pantanal

On Saturday, October 10 the Houston Zoo opened its latest expansion project, South America’s Pantanal. The 4.2-acre multi-species environment explores the legendary tropical wetlands of Brazil — home to South America’s greatest concentration of wildlife and is the latest in the series of new habitats the Houston Zoo is planning, culminating in its 100th year in 2022.

South America’s Pantanal allows guests to explore the tropical wetlands of Brazil right here in the Bayou City. The lush habitat highlights animals the Zoo is protecting in the wild, including for the first time at the Houston Zoo, giant river otters. Partnered with on-the-ground conservationists in Brazil, the Zoo offers visitors the chance to see these animals in an immersive and engaging trail that gives guests the opportunity to view jaguars, capybaras, giant river otters, dart frogs, howler monkeys, anaconda, and macaws closer than ever before in Houston.

KPRC – Saving Wildlife: Giants of the Pantanal

KPRC’s Andy Cerota interviews Houston Zoo partner, Gabriel Massocato, about his work in the Pantanal

On Friday, October 23, KPRC Channel 2 aired the one-hour feature, “Saving Wildlife: Giants of the Pantanal.” In 2019, KPRC’s Andy Cerota and crew traveled with the Houston Zoo to South America’s Pantanal, the largest tropical wetland in the world, to see some of the most mysterious and biggest species on the planet and highlight how we’re helping save these animals in the wild.

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The Pantanal

In South America, the Pantanal region stretches across Brazil and parts of Paraguay and Bolivia. Its forests, rivers, marshes, and grasslands are inhabited by a stunning variety of wildlife. The Houston Zoo provides salaries and technical support for our conservation partners in the region, who conduct research, educate, engage local people, and find solutions to protect wildlife. Through work with local landowners and communities, the partners are also unveiling the value of these iconic species as critical pieces of local ecosystems as well as through the economy generated by tourism. And by visiting the Houston Zoo guests are helping to save this special place.

In the Pantanal region, the Houston Zoo partners with four wildlife conservation organizations: Lowland Tapir Conservation, Projeto Tatu-Canastra (Giant Armadillo Project), Bandeira Rodovias (Anteaters and Highways), and Projeto Ariranha (Giant Otter Project).

Houston Zoo partners work with Giant Armadillos in the Pantanal