The mad moonlight on a magical trip to Brazil
Let's Talk|January 2020
Our nature writer Barry Madden treats us to his magical memories of an extraordinary wildlife trip to Brazil.
The mad moonlight on a magical 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.

This story is from the January 2020 edition of Let's Talk.

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This story is from the January 2020 edition of Let's Talk.

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