A most exciting discovery in the Pantanal

08/09/2016 in Conservation

Recently we’ve started a new camera experiment in the Pantanal as we seek to improve our armadillo detection methods. We are placing cameras 1 km from each other, in a grid formation around locations we believe a giant armadillo would use. Once a new method is proven in an area we know contains giant armadillos, we can then use them to estimate populations densities in the Cerrado with confidence.

If you have been following our updates for a while you will know that my favorite giant armadillo is Isabelle, and that we were all heartbroken when her son Alex died. This was over a year ago … since then we have also had the disappointment of her transmitter battery running out. So naturally we selected Isabelle’s territory to start the experiment, as I really hoped the camera grid would give us some news and we could find out how she is doing.

Gabriel and Bruna spent one week placing the cameras in the grid and … well…  Isabelle surprised us again!

The team was monitoring one of the giant anteaters which is known to use Isabelle´s territory, when Gabriel decided to stop and check one of the camera traps he had placed near a termite mound. He was thrilled to see that Isabelle had walked by. He then explored the area around the camera and decided to take the rest of team to see the location where Isabelle had had her first baby, since it was nearby. (Sadly, this baby was killed at four weeks old by another giant armadillo male). To Gabriel´s surprise he found a fresh burrow and decided to place a camera trap in front of it. Due to the other work carried out during this expedition, the team only managed to return towards the end of the expedition to check the camera. Nothing could have prepared them for what they found…

The camera showed that Isabelle had returned to the burrow just a few days before and made it much deeper. She then left only to return with a tiny baby that is probably barely a month old. Unbelievable … A BABY GIANT ARMADILLO….  

A whole new chapter for the project has just opened. We have a second chance to follow Alex´s story! Amidst the excitement, it’s important to remember that so much can happen during the first few years, and the Pantanal is such a dangerous world for a young giant armadillo. It will also take us two years to reach the point in development that we left off with young Alex. Despite the obstacles that lie ahead, I still cannot begin to tell you how excited we all are. I also cannot believe I was not in the field with the team when this happened! I hope to be able to visit again soon.

There is so much more to update you on following our most recent expeditions, and I look forward to doing so in future updates. For now though, I just couldn’t wait to share this exciting news.

Until next time, all the best from the Pantanal!

Arnaud