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Simply amazing! So many different Jaguar sightings in different settings and some action as well. Thank you for sharing! I’m also thinking of staying on a houseboat in 2026. You surly wetted my appetite to experience the Pantanal. On to the dry-land animals…. 

Thank you @michael-ibkAside from the action, the most attractive factor for me was the nearly clean BG of the spillway surface.

One mammal species I was fairly confident of seeing at some stage was an Arabian Gazelle, nothing could have been further from the truth. Despite visiting several known gazelle areas around Mirbat no sightings were secured, this was one species we should be able to observe during the day. Our local guide remained confident, two days before we returned home we went out at 07.30 and headed for a vast area of rocky scrub close to Mirbat and after scouring the area eventually an individual was picked up in a spotting scope but at a considerable distance,  Eventually several others were spotted. I had been expecting to get some relatively close up images but it was clear that was not going to happen. Gazelle numbers are very low compared to say 20 years ago mainly as a result of hunting and habitat loss, illegal hunting still remains a problem. They are extremely nervous and usually avoid as best they can any human contact, they also blend in very well with their chosen habit. The two images below are the best I could manage, we saw two more the following day at a different location but from about the same distance.  If you look very carefully in the red circles you can just about make out one Gazelle in each. Heavily cropped image gives a better impression of the sighting, further cropping just gives a very blurred image. Shot @ 500mm, record shot of the sighting. ARABIAN GAZELLE Gazella arabica.    So that is about it for this short trip report. We thoroughly enjoyed the trip and although sightings were in short supply we got to see most on the wish list and in particular the big one, the Asiatic Caracal. The country was fascinating and the people very friendly. As previously mentioned a mammal trip would be really for the keen enthusiast wanting to try for some quite rare mammal species/ subspecies. As far as birding goes it should definitely be on everyone's wish list. Several operators offer quite inexpensive group trips.   For us 10 new species/ subspecies were recorded, not including the Wildcat ssp. which was first recorded by us in Tanzania. (This may change when the species status is reviewed). The only bat included was the EGYPTIAN ROUSETTE which was accurately identified by size. 2 other bat species were seen but not recorded as only definites are include in our sightings data. 11 MAMMAL SPECIES IN TOTAL OBSERVED ON THE TRIP. RECORDED ON THIS TRIP BUT NOT BY US: WHITE-TAILED MONGOOSE. TARGETS NOT SEEN: STRIPED HYENA (ARABIAN), INDIAN CRESTED PORCUPINE. (Both possible). 93 BIRD SPECIES RECORDED. (secondary effort to mammals). GREEN & OLIVE RIDLEY SEA TURTLES & A HUGE CONGER EEL RECORDED. (All in Mirbat harbour).   IN CONCLUSION A FEW MISCELLANEOUS IMAGES: One afternoon we had a  walk in a public park in Mirbat for a short time, we saw some lovely birds. BLUE-CHEEKED BEE-EATERS. EUROPEAN ROLLER. On one of the night drives we had a  very good sighting of a European Nightjar. GLOSSY IBIS. Also recorded in the park Little Egret, Asian Koel, Eurasian Hoopoe,Arabian Sunbird and Common Cuckoo.   ABDIM'S STORK, taken in Mirbat harbour.   DHOFAR FAN-FOOTED GECKO. Endemic.   CHESTNUT-BELLIED SANDGROUSE.   Unidentified probable CICADA species. Very big, circa 7 cm in length, found in a rocky desert location.   CINNAMON-BREASTED BUNTING.   NAMAQUA DOVE.     STEPPE EAGLE.   GREATER SPOTTED EAGLE, with huge fish catch. Taken from distance, record shot.   COMMON SNIPE. White under wings when flying, we initially thought it might be a Pin-tailed.   GREATER FLAMINGO.   ARABIAN WHEATEAR. ssp. boscaweni   One of our main targets for the trip although we knew we knew we were possibly in the wrong place, was a Crab Plover. Several of the birding groups we met pointed us to this location where a single Crab Plover had been hanging around the beach for several days. It was well gone when we got there, we would really like to see one in the future!   Thank you to everyone who has shown an interest in this trip report.

@SAFARILEGENDOf great interest also would be a couple of historical trip reports.     What changes, if any, have occurred in your experiences in the area over 28 years?  In clientele too.    My first safari was 28 years ago. TRs since then that I've read have revealed quite significant differences over the years. 

A great gory sequence John!

Day 11 (30 June): Birding with Perry     "Did you get it?" asks Perry. He's referring to the crowned lapwing that gave us a flyby. I check the shots I'd just taken and confirm that yes, I did get it.   Crowned lapwing (OM-1, Olympus 100-400 @186mm, 1/1000s, f5.9, ISO 500)   Crowned lapwing (OM-1, Olympus 100-400 @186mm, 1/1000s, f5.9, ISO 500)   I check my watch, it's 08:20, just 5 minutes since Perry told me he'd find a Dickinson's Kestrel, crowned lapwing, and white-browed robin chat to tick-off on my list. My eyes are still tracking the lapwing when Perry taps my arm and points to the top of a dead-looking tree: "and there's the Dickinson's kestrel!"   It's quite far away, but I've learned to capture at least a 'record shot' before attempting to get closer. It proves wise, I've barely lifted the camera when it takes flight.   Dickinson's kestrel (OM-1, Olympus 100-400 @400mm, 1/3200s, f6.3, ISO 640)   Dickinson's kestrel (OM-1, Olympus 100-400 @400mm, 1/3200s, f6.3, ISO 800)   Dickinson's kestrel (OM-1, Olympus 100-400 @400mm, 1/3200s, f6.3, ISO 800)   Based on what we've just seen I half expect the white browed robin chat to come and perch on the windscreen, but Perry drives a little further to an area of cracked earth around a nearly-dry waterhole. Ten minutes pass, just as I'm fearing Perry has lost his touch a flash of orange rises out of a shallow depression, sure enough, it's the promised robin chat.   White-browed robin chat - with Maeve's starling (OM-1, Olympus 100-400 @400mm, 1/2000s, f6.3, ISO 1250)   The morning had started with a typical Luangwa valley breakfast by the fire overlooking the river.     Shortly after 6am we were in the boat heading across the river into the park. Being the only guest in the vehicle allows a straightforward discussion about priorities. I tell him I'm not an obsessive birder - if there are big cats or dogs to see then I'll happily leave the birds - but in the absence of those I'd rather tick off new birds than look at more antelope.   I'm not generally a list-ticker, but the wildlife sightings have been slower recently and this gamification has brought some additional interest to the drives. There's just one rule: it only counts if there's a photo and the bird is identifiable in it. This is necessary for a ST Big Year post (admittedly my posting there has dwindled as other things have taken up a lot of time, but I hope to get all my Zambia birds on there before the end of the year). I know almost immediately I'm going to enjoy the drive, Perry has a very good eye for birds, and very good knowledge of where to find each species.  

The giant river otter pups was a special one. Ousado is a beast, that was really great! I like the tyra too. I didn't see one. You had so many great sightings! So, right, couldn't ask for more. The jaguars are just so beautiful. Glad you had a great time!

Hi Dave, it's great to see you've started your trip report. I look forward to reading how it all went especially your trip to Old Magazine House. We arrived back from Cavelossim on Wednesday but not too much birding this time. It seemed to be more humid this trip for much more than my early morning walks, (or I'm just getting too old!) We did have one very heavy thunderstorm that cleared the humidity somewhat and I guess you enjoyed the same.

@AKR1This is from Zone 2 of Tigress Arrowhead, who had not been keeping well for a couple of months. It was overwhelming to see her back in action.

Thnx for you question and Yes, I should do a Trip Report from my visists to Ngorongoro

@SAFARILEGEND Are you about to post a Trip Report from visits to the Ngorongoro ?

This hunt was apparently also in Ranthambore recently. Not good video angles or quality of filming but nonetheless quite a capture.    https://www.instagram.com/reel/DDZRMblzFnc/?igsh=MThtcDVueGNiMHVidg==

Toco Toucan   Silver-beaked Tanager   Donal (m)   Luna (f)   Rio (m) & Manath (m)     Solar (f) I’m ashamed to admit that the sighting of Solar was ‘not my finest hour’ as, having watched her walking down the beach, when she stopped & sat down, I put my camera down to ‘savour the moment’! By the time I’d grabbed my camera again, all I got was her heading off with her catch into the undergrowth      Fortunately, Jackie was videoing and captured the sequence. Many thanks Jacky for letting me include it   https://photos.google.com/u/1/album/AF1QipMl_G_G49TLxr1tYJyPM-r850K6aXJjTF6vH8uD/photo/AF1QipONuj1bCkIolZpxFpTJnvMq6XYo7c6pOSObSGkC     Great Black Hawk nest   Borono (m)   Crane Hawk   Marcela (f)         Much better Tyra     Great Kiskadee   Patricia again.  We were a bit late to this sighting and word had got out that her cub was there as well. We were somewhat out-of-position but amidst all the jockeying for position, these River-snail eggs looked interesting. We were though, much to our surprise, perfectly placed when Patricia's cub popped out to say hello Patricia's cub     More river otter   And just as we were heading home   Ariely (f)   Line up the caipirinhas’ please barman and thanks for a great stay.  24 Jaguar sightings of 19 different individuals, 3 separate Tayra sightings and Giant River Otters moving den. We also saw Tapir one evening whilst heading back to the Barco Aguape but the light had pretty much gone so the photo’s aren’t worth uploading. All in all, we couldn’t have asked for more from our time on the Rio Sao Laurenco & Piquiri River.  Next: Back on the Transpantaneira Highway & Pousada Piuval

Thank you to the four of you for a very enjoyable report with excellent photos!

Thanks @janzin, @Towlersonsafari& @Miss Biscuit @Towlersonsafari It certainly made our boatman work hard and there were some channels we couldn’t get down.  It was the same on the Paraguay River later on and I did wonder at times just how long the props were going to last but we only got sufficiently stuck to require a ‘rebalancing of the boat’ just the once. I think so too, just like the Proboscis Bats tree. Our next couple of days were equally rewarding but rather than an hour-by-hour account I’ll let the photo’s tell the story. Our days started with breakfast ~5am and we were in the speedboat & away before ~6. We’d head back to the Barco Aguape for a quick lunch around midday and be back out again before 2pm, returning as dusk was falling ~5:30-6pm. After the relative cool of Iguaçu, the Pantanal was much hotter and even on the water the temperatures were well over 40C in the heat of the day.  Humidity was very low at ~15% so it wasn’t too oppressive but you could tell there were/had been wildfires in the area with the sun not turning yellow until it had risen well into the sky.   Rufescent Tiger Heron with breakfast   Capybara   Ringed Kingfisher   Anhinga   Alira (f)   Patricia (f)   There then followed some moments of madness as everyone tried to follow Patricia in the hope of seeing her young cub   We left them to it and were well rewarded as we arrived to see Osado pulling a Capybara he’d just caught out of the water. Osado (m))   Very pretty vegetation Apeiara (f)       Bororo (m)   Crested Caracara   Predicting what Giant River Otters are going to do is almost impossible (or is it my very slow 'old git reaction time?),  I’ve got no end of these photos!! Giant         We followed them downstream to their den and their arrival prompted a flurry of excitement before we were amazed to see them swimming back upstream with the young pups. According to our boatman there had been 5 pups but we could only see 2 so our best guess was that their den had been found by a predator so it was ‘moving house’ time.           TBC