The next morning at sunrise we’re navigating a small boat upstream in search of a jaguar. From the big river we take a left into a smaller river, then a right into a creek and then a right again where we find ourselves in the middle of nowhere. “The first thing we have to do is look for footprints on the river beds,” Ailton says with a low voice, as if he thinks a jaguar will hear us. Just as we decide to call it a day, Ailton suddenly shouts: “There he is!”