Which UNESCO World Heritage Site in Brazil protects wetlands famous for jaguars and seasonal flooding?

Pantanal Conservation Area is the UNESCO World Heritage Site in Brazil protecting wetlands famous for jaguars and seasonal flooding.

The Pantanal is one of the world’s largest tropical wetland systems. Its rivers and low-lying plains undergo a pronounced annual cycle: rainy-season water spreads across large areas, then recedes and concentrates wildlife in remaining waterways and wetlands. This seasonal rhythm creates habitats for fish, birds, reptiles, and mammals.

The World Heritage property consists of four protected areas in the western-central part of Brazil. Together they represent a portion of the much larger Pantanal biome, which extends across Brazil and reaches Bolivia and Paraguay. Jaguars are among its best-known mammals, but the region also supports giant otters, caimans, capybaras, and exceptionally rich birdlife.

UNESCO inscribed the Pantanal Conservation Area in 2000. The property is not identical to the entire Pantanal wetland. The name refers specifically to the protected World Heritage components, while the broader ecological region covers a much greater area.