With LTCI - Lowland Tapir Conservation Initiative, IPÊ will support research initiatives in the Pantanal:

In order to evaluate the impact of these catastrophic fires on wildlife at least two large initiatives have been established:

3.1. Researchers from several organizations joined forces with EMBRAPA Pantanal – a governmental research institute that developed a standard method to count carcasses using line-transect sampling. Many researchers have been contributing. Preliminary results of the carcass counts showed that fires were so strong that were able to affect large animals, especially tapirs. However, low-mobility animals such as rodents and reptiles have suffered even more, disrupting the base of the food chain. The general lack of food resources due to the effect of scorched earth that destroyed the plant and animals supplies from the bottom of the food chain is a well-known phenomenon after large-scales fires called 'gray hunger', which normally has long-lasting consequences for wildlife.

3.2. SESC Pantanal, a private reserve in the northern Pantanal, lost 91% of their area.  This area maintains one of the largest tapir populations in the Pantanal.  With support from partners, they have distributed 160 water/food stations for the animals (they bring water and fresh food every two days), and they are monitoring 12 of these stations with camera-traps. This will be an extremely effective way to monitor and evaluate the conditions of the animals over time after the fires. Therefore, we provided 10 additional camera-traps kits (containing camera traps, rechargeable batteries, and SD cards) to monitor at least 10 more stations for as long as needed.

We were also in touch with several colleagues and organizations, trying to compile as much information as possible about the effects of these fires on tapirs to be able to model this impact on their population and evaluate the consequences.

Since fires are recurrent in the Pantanal and climate models forecast severe drought in the following years, LTCI proposed a long-term strategy for the prevention of similar catastrophes in the Nhecolândia region, where the LTCI and ICAS are based. Although the fires did not hit the region in 2020, in 2019 fires had destroyed 10% of our study area and the risk remains very high. Therefore, we have articulated the creation of a coalition of ranches that will be permanently prepared with fire brigades to act against possible fires.

The Baía das Pedras ranch, our study area, together with other nine ranches will form a coalition covering ​​1,500 km² of the Pantanal biome. Baia das Pedras will be the central HQ of the coalition, keeping key equipment including a 5,000-liter portable water tank as well as water pumps and accessories that can be transported in urgency to neighboring ranches. In addition, each ranch will receive a kit of firefighting equipment (including a fire burner, a portable blower, chainsaw, blade cutter, sickles, and hoes) as well as individual protective equipment for FIVE individuals (fire-resistant boots, protective clothing, gloves, glasses, balaclavas, helmets, water bottles, leg protectors, etc.). We had the guidance of experienced firefighters and ranch owners to choose the equipment, and we have already purchased all the items.

In May 2021, following all the procedures against the COVID-19, we will hold an event at the Baía das Pedras ranch to gather the member of all the 10 ranches who are part of the coalition. Experienced firefighters from PrevFogo/IBAMA will attend and train landowners and their employees on how to use, store and upkeep the equipment. A Memorandum of Understanding will be signed with each participating ranch guaranteeing the proper use and care of the material and we will evaluate biannually the success of this initiative through questionnaires.

We will share the results of this experience with local and state stakeholders and policy makers in order to provide an example of potential strategies to prevent and reduce the occurrence of catastrophic fires in the Pantanal, such as 2020. This initiative also aims to guarantee the protection of the study area and a buffer zone of the most extensive long-term conservation project of the Lowland Tapir and the first long-term project focused on giant armadillos in the world.

Finally, we will provide funding to PrevFogo/IBAMA to keep 10 experienced firefighters for six months. The federal government maintains small groups of firefighters in different regions of the country only during the dry season (six months). During discussions with the coordinators of PrevFogo in Campo Grande/MS, we were told that their main need would be to keep some of their team for the remaining six months of the year (wet season). That way, they would have that additional time to train farmers, ranchers, local communities etc.

How LTCI - Lowland Tapir Conservation Initiative worked for Urgent Response to Pantanal

At the very beginning of the animal rescue work, we noticed the large number of occurrences with tapirs.  Therefore, our first action was the creation of a remote support group for animal rescue and rehabilitation teams. Through WhatsApp, we put members of these teams in contact with our network of tapir specialists including LTCI's past and current veterinarians and biologists, zoo personnel, specialists in animal nutrition, and several researchers. All these different professionals in the network were available to discuss the best protocols for anesthesia, treatment, feeding and maintenance of animals from rescue until complete rehabilitation and release. In addition, we shared all the relevant materials we have available, such as manuals, guidelines, and protocols (veterinary, anesthetic, and laboratory).

In order to obtain the needed financial resources, an international online fundraising campaign was launched in mid-September (through credit card and PayPal). In addition, we have also applied to and obtained emergency resources from several zoo conservation funds and national and international companies and organizations. 

Part of the donations was used to provide veterinary equipment and supplies to animal rescue teams all over the Pantanal, as well as to the wildlife rehabilitation center at the Federal University of Mato Grosso in Cuiaba. These teams of heroes have taken risks and faced the most adverse conditions while rescuing and taking care of many burned animals. Tapirs, giant anteaters, otters, jaguars and many more species were received and treated in the best possible way, limited by the lack of adequate equipment and shortages of medicines and necessary materials.

For two months, one of our vets dedicated full-time to keeping in touch with different teams, keeping lists of their needs, placing orders for the purchase of equipment and supplies from several different companies, making payments, tracking shipments and much more. We drove twice to Cuiaba, bringing truckloads of materials.  

As urgent response, we have also allocated resources for the purchase of appropriate firefighting gear (such as fire-resistant boots, pants, shirts, gloves, and balaclavas, as well as helmets, eye protection, water pumps, fire hoses, shovels, chainsaws, air blowers, brush cutters). For this action, we worked in partnership with a non-profit organization called ECOA - Ecology and Action, which conducts several environmental and social projects in the Pantanal region since 1989. Our financial contribution was essential to assist these actions from logistics and transportation to gear purchase.

A major environmental tragedy hit Brazil with large-scale fires in the Amazon and the Pantanal. The fires in the Pantanal resulted from the junction of natural and socioeconomic factors. The year of 2020 saw the worst drought in over half a century, probably due to a combination of the climatic phenomenon La Niña, with climate change, effects of deforestation in the Amazon and uncontrolled increase of hydroelectric dams in the rivers that feed into the Pantanal.Furthermore, an ongoing government strategy has been weakening our environmental legislations, encouraging landowners to clear their lands illegally. Within this scenario, a combination of natural, accidental, and criminal fires has had an unprecedented devastating impact on the Pantanal. More than 30% of the biome burnt to ashes, destroying the rich local flora, killing millions of animals, and even affecting the means of life of local communities. The consequences are still little known, but unfortunately, they will still be felt for many decades. To deal with it, the LTCI - Lowland Tapir Conservation Initiative joined efforts with ICAS (Institute for the Conservation of Wild Animals) to define priority actions and outline support strategies, which fell into three different fronts: URGENT RESPONSE, PREVENTION, and IMPACT MEASUREMENT.

Geographic Citizen Science Design - No one left behind was edited by Artemis Skarlatidou and Muki Haklay. Here, articles about different experiences in this field have been published. Rafael Chiaravalloti, researcher at IPÊ, tells us about his learnings working with fishers in the Pantanal wetland: “Representing a fish for fishers: geographic citizen science in the Pantanal wetland, Brazil”

- The creation of strictly protected areas in the western border of the Pantanal wetland, Brazil, has led to the physical and economic displacement of local people.

- A geographic citizen science programme was implemented to support local people to represent their customary practices, and to encourage practitioners to incorporate local people’s needs better in the conservation agenda.

- Time spent with local people to gain rapport is a fundamental step in the implementation of a successful geographic citizen science programme.

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