The mad moonlight on a magical trip to Brazil

Our nature writer Barry Madden treats us to his magical memories of an extraordinary wildlife trip to Brazil.

To bring a bit of warmth to the chill of winter, this month I thought I would take you to the wilds of the Brazilian Pantanal where I was lucky enough to spend some time during December 2016.

It is a fascinating area full of colourful birds, insects, mammals and other wildlife. The landscapes are vast, the people very friendly. This account tells the story of a particular evening spent in excited anticipation of a jaguar sighting. We were unlucky, but it was nevertheless magical …

After a sunrise diffused through a curtain of mist over the lake, I jokingly challenged our daytime guide, Rafael, to find us a photographable toco toucan. A few minutes later as I was about my ablutions in the bathroom there was a knock on the door to inform us a toucan was, at that very moment, raiding nests in a palm just outside the lodge. Dispensing with scrubbing various parts clean, I cautiously poked my head outside to find myself almost eyeball to eyeball with the bird of Guinness fame, the clownish freak of ad campaigns and travel brochures.