(00:00:00) 155.Mario Haberfeld: Conservation, Courage and the Jaguar Rivers Initiative
(00:01:19) Africa Trip Inspiration
(00:02:38) Racing to Conservation
(00:05:17) Starting in Pantanal
(00:07:13) Habituating Jaguars
(00:09:08) Oncafari Expands Mission
(00:13:28) Biggest Challenges Fires
(00:16:21) Funding and Community Wins
(00:20:09) Lessons from Motorsport
(00:24:16) Advice for Changemakers
(00:26:45) Jaguar Rivers Initiative
(00:30:23) Most Memorable Jaguar Moment
What happens when a former Formula One and IndyCar driver decides his next challenge is saving one of the world's most iconic big cats?
Host Sue Stockdale speaks with Brazilian conservationist and former racing driver Mario Haberfeld, founder of Onçafari, one of South America's leading wildlife conservation organisations. Mario shares how a childhood journey to Africa sparked a lifelong fascination with wildlife, a passion that remained alive throughout a successful motorsport career. After retiring from racing, Mario embarked on a two-year global journey to understand conservation efforts around the world.
What emerged was an ambitious vision which has evolved since 2011- to create a sustainable future for jaguars in Brazil through ecotourism, scientific research, habitat protection and community engagement. Mario explains how Onçafari pioneered the habituation of wild jaguars, transforming wildlife tourism in Brazil's Pantanal region while creating economic opportunities for local communities. He also discusses the growing threat of climate-driven wildfires, the importance of long-term thinking, and the ambitious Jaguar Rivers Initiative, a multinational effort to connect wildlife corridors across Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Bolivia. This conversation explores leadership, perseverance, teamwork and the power of following a passion.
You will learn:
How a childhood trip to Africa inspired Mario's conservation journey
Why he transitioned from professional motorsport to wildlife protection
The pioneering work Onçafari has done to habituate jaguars safely
How ecotourism can support both conservation and local communities
Why climate change and wildfires are now among the greatest threats to biodiversity
What motorsport taught Mario about leadership, teamwork and resilience
The vision behind the Jaguar Rivers Initiative and its international impact
Advice for anyone wanting to create meaningful change in the world
Key Quote "If your passion is big enough to accept the challenges, then everything is achievable."
About Mario Haberfeld Mario Haberfeld is a former Formula One test driver and IndyCar racer who founded Onçafari, a pioneering Brazilian conservation organisation dedicated to protecting jaguars. Since its launch, Onçafari has expanded from a single project in the Pantanal to a multi-biome conservation initiative combining wildlife research, rewilding, education, community development and habitat protection. Mario is also a driving force behind the international Jaguar Rivers Initiative, which seeks to connect critical wildlife corridors across South America.
Podden och tillhörande omslagsbild på den här sidan tillhör
Sue Stockdale. Innehållet i podden är skapat av Sue Stockdale och inte av,
eller tillsammans med, Poddtoppen.
