Gisele: The New Queen of the Pantanal

A Wild Collaboration

In September 2024, something wild—and almost unexplainable—happened in the Pantanal.

The day before, I’d been on the river with Luciana Leite, a friend and conservationist from Chalana Esperança. As we moved quietly through the waterways, she shared an idea close to her heart: to name a jaguar Gisele, after the iconic Brazilian supermodel and environmentalist, Gisele Bündchen.

Not for attention. For impact.

She said, “If we could name a jaguar Gisele—especially one never seen before—it could raise real awareness for the Pantanal. For jaguars. For everything we’re trying to protect.”

The next morning, I was back on the water. Just me and our trusted boat driver, Yco Campos.

That’s when she appeared.

A jaguar emerged from the forest. Confident. Calm. Different. I’d spent years photographing these cats, and I didn’t recognize her.

We captured her images and sent them to Abigail Martin from the Jaguar Identification Project. She ran the spot pattern through the database.

No match.
She had never been recorded before.
And—just like Luciana had hoped—she was female.

To spot a never-before-seen jaguar is rare—only a few are identified each year. For it to happen the very next day after that conversation? In that exact region? And for her to be female?

The odds are astronomical. The timing, surreal. Some things the universe just lines up.

We named her Gisele.

And when the real Gisele Bündchen heard the story, she shared it on her Instagram and told G1 Globo she was “feliz pela homenagem”—honored by the tribute—and expressed her love for the wild places of Brazil.

More Than a Name

This wasn’t just a lucky sighting. It was a moment where conservation, intuition, and synchronicity collided on a remote stretch of river.

Together with Luciana, Abigail, and the Journey with Jaguars team, we documented Gisele not only as a new individual, but as a symbol. A reminder that something sacred still lives in these wetlands.

As we say at Journey with Jaguars:
We believe awe leads to love. And when people feel awe in the wild, they protect it.
We create those moments—one jaguar at a time.

Step Into the Story

Gisele now roams the Pantanal, wild and free. Whether you see her or not, our expeditions invite you into her world—where mystery and meaning are always just around the bend.

Join us.
Let the Pantanal write your story.

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