Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
THE HISTORY OF THE PANTANAL
The
Pantanal
is known to have been inhabited for at least five thousand years. Ceramics
were being produced here by 1500 BC and strange mounds were created, possibly ritual sites,
around the same era. These were occupied until 1000 AD, then re-utilized by various of the
Pantanal's tribal groups: Paiaguá, Gutao, Terna and Mbaya-Guaicuru. At the time of early
Portuguese explorations, and the first unsuccessful attempts at populating the region by
the Spanish in the sixteenth century, the region was dominated by three main tribes. The
horse-riding
Guaicuru
, who lived to the south, adopted stray or stolen horses and cattle from
the advancing white settlers, making them an elite group among indigenous tribes. Wearing
only jaguar skins as they rode into battle, they were feared by the neighbouring
Terena
(Guana) tribe, who lived much of their lives as servants to Guaicuru families. In many ways, the
nature and degree of their economic and social interaction suggests that the two might once
have been different castes within the same tribe. Another powerful people lived to the north -
the
Paiaguá
, masters of the main rivers, lagoons and canals of the central Pantanal. Much to
the chagrin of both Spanish and Portuguese expeditions into the swamps, the Paiaguá were
superbly skilled with both their canoes and the bow and arrow.
In 1540, the Spaniard Alvar Nuñez Cabeza de Vaca explored some of the Pantanal. Having
previously visited what is now Texas and the southeast US, he was particularly impressed
with the extraordinary fishing and healthy constitutions of the people here. Other Spanish
adventurers also arrived here in the late sixteenth century, bringing with them the first cattle.
They were soon evicted by Brazilian
bandeirantes
, but left their cattle behind to go feral. It
wasn't until the
discovery of gold
in the northern Pantanal and around Cuiabá during the
early eighteenth century that any genuine settlement schemes were undertaken. A rapid
influx of colonists, miners and soldiers led to several bloody battles. In June 1730 hundreds of
Paiaguá warriors in 83 canoes ambushed the annual flotilla, which was carrying some 900kg of
gold south through the Pantanal from Cuiabá. They spared only some of the women and a few
of the stronger black rowers from the flotilla: all of the gold and most of the white men were
lost. Much of the gold eventually found its way out of Brazil and into Spanish Paraguay where
Cautiguacu, the Paiaguá chief, lived a life of luxury in Asunción until his death 55 years later.
The decline of the gold mines during the nineteenth century brought development in the
Pantanal to a standstill and the population began to fall.
The twentieth century saw the establishment of unrestricted
cattle-grazing
ranches -
fazendas
- and today over twenty million cattle roam the swamp. Party time here is during
the bull castration period, when the local delicacy becomes readily available. Droughts and
diseases ravaged the Pantanal cattle industry in the late 1960s and early 1970s, then the 1980s
and 1990s saw the introduction of mechanized vehicles and light aircraft, which began to
replace the labour of the traditional
gaucho
ranch worker. Thankfully, however, Brazilian
cowboys still abound.
The wildlife trade and ranching were at their peak here between the late nineteenth
century and the end of World War II, when the demand for beef in particular dropped off.
The Pantanal, however, is still
under threat
from the illegal exploitation of animal skins, fish
and rare birds, and even gold panning. The chemical fertilizers and pesticides used on the
enormous
fazendas
to produce cash crops such as soya beans are also beginning to take their
toll.
Ecotourism
has been heralded as a potential saviour for the swamp, but this will only
work if su
cient money is ploughed back into conservation. The Pantanal has its own Polícia
Florestal who try to enforce the environmentally friendly regulations that are now being
strictly applied to visitors and locals alike: no disposal of non-biodegradable rubbish, no noise
pollution, no fishing without a licence (it costs R$250) or between November and January
during the breeding season, no fishing with nets or explosives and no removal of rocks,
wildlife or plant life.
7
these are usually available at the lodges or at tour operators
in Cuiabá (see p.473) or Poconé (see p.468). It's possible to
take buses and boats from Cuiabá and Corumbá to places
such as Cáceres, Coxim, Porto Jofre or Aquidauana, and it's
then a matter of paying a local guide or
fazendeiro
to take
INDEPENDENT TRAVEL
Local guides
If you want to go independently, remember
that the Pantanal is a di
cult place to travel in. That said,
camping or stay on a houseboat deep in the swamp is a
unique experience, but to do this you will need a local guide;
