The Pantanal Matogrossense National Park (Portuguese: Parque Nacional do Pantanal Matogrossense) is a national park located in the state of Mato Grosso, on the border between Mato Grosso do Sul and Brazil.

Location

Pantanal Matogrossense National Park covers an area of 135,606 hectares (335,090 acres). The park is located in the Pantanal biome. It was established by decree nº 86.392 on September 24, 1981, and is managed by the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio). The park spans parts of the municipalities of Corumbá in Mato Grosso do Sul, and Cáceres and Poconé in Mato Grosso. It borders the Guirá State Park to the north. The Cuiabá River flows through Pantanal Matogrossense National Park. The park is part of the Pantanal Biosphere Reserve, which also includes Chapada dos Guimarães, Emas, and Serra da Bodoquena national parks, as well as Serra de Santa Bárbara and Nascentes do Rio Taquari, Pantanal de Rio Negro state parks.

Conservation

The park is classified as an IUCN protected area category II, which means it is a national park. The main goal of the park is to protect natural ecosystems that are very important for the environment and have beautiful scenery. It also supports scientific research, environmental education, outdoor recreation, and ecological tourism. The park was added to the list of "Wetlands of International Importance" by the Ramsar Convention in 1993.

Protected species in the park include the jaguar (Panthera onca), ocelot (Leopardus pardalis), marsh deer (Blastocerus dichotomus), giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla), giant armadillo (Priodontes maximus), giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis), chestnut-bellied guan (Penelope ochrogaster), black-and-tawny seedeater (Sporophila nigrorufa), and the mussel Lamproscapha ensiformis.