The country brings together a rare combination of biological, territorial, economic and social factors that fuel criminal activity responsible for the destruction of fauna
As it brings together a rare combination of biological, territorial, economic and social factors, wildlife trafficking is one of the biggest challenges for the preservation of fauna in Brazil. The country has a wide supply of species coveted by traffickers in different regions.
According to Ibama, international demand also directly influences the increase andas well as the search for
“Having exotic and rare species at home is a status symbol, at the cost of the animal’s freedom. It’s a vicious cycle: trafficking reduces the population of a species, making it rarer in nature; the rare species, in turn, becomes even more desirable by animal traffickers,” the institute said in the report.
The main species that are victims of wildlife trafficking in Brazil are distributed across different regions of the country and include, above all, birds, mammals and reptiles.
Among the most affected are songbirds and ornamental birds, highly regarded for its beauty and song. Mammals are also frequently captured for illegal sale as pets. Among reptiles, some species are among the most seized, often due to popular beliefs that still persist.
Find out which are some of the most affected species
Birds
- Coleirinha
- Picharro
- True land canary
- prairie cock
- Blackbird
- Azulão
- Tico-tico
- True parrot
- orange thrush
- land canary
- grass pope
- Macaws
- Pixoxó
Rescued macaw and scarlet macaw puppies – Photo: Victor Trovão
Reptiles
- Piranga tortoise
- water tiger
Mammals
- Black-eared opossum
- capuchin monkey
- Marmoset
Marmosets are among the main victims of wildlife trafficking – Photo: Ascom IMA/AL
According to the Brazil is the most biodiverse country in the world and is home to numerous endemic species, found only in the national territory, which directly contributes to the scale of the problem.
“In general, the North region is the most affected. Many species from the Amazon region are captured and trafficked to serve buyers mainly from the Southeast region”, explained the Institute.
In relation to international trafficking, the agency reports that “the destinations are quite varied, but the region that stands out most is Asia, mainly in relation to bird and animal eggs or parts of animals used as delicacies in some countries in the region”. When it comes to live animals, they are often trafficked to other countries in South America before going to their destination or another intermediate destination. Europe is one of the main destinations for this type of trafficking”, he highlighted.
For the biologist and head of department at the Center for Triage and Recovery of Wild Animals (Cetras-SP), Lilian Sayuri Fitorra, “the great biodiversity, the ‘cultural’ issue of the population and the lack of information makes many people believe that it is simply acceptable to keep a wild animal”.
Reintegration to nature
Not all wild animals who are victims of trafficking get a second chance. While some are rescued, treated and, after a long rehabilitation process, reintroduced to the wild, others do not resist the conditions of illegal capture, transportation and captivity.
There are specialized institutions responsible for housing these animals after rescue. One example is the São Paulo Wild Animal Sorting and Recovery Center (Cetras São Paulo), which works to receive wild animals seized by authorities such as the Environmental Military Police and Ibama, as well as specimens voluntarily delivered by citizens.
“Of the animals that survive and are rehabilitated, around 70% of them we managed to return to nature. The other 30% are individuals who present some sequelae that it was not possible to reverse and, therefore, are sent to fauna enterprises authorized by the Secretariat of the Environment”, informs Lilian Sayuri Fitorra, biologist at Cetras-SP.
How to report an animal in danger?
There are several channels available to report the illegal trade and trafficking of wild animals, as well as to request the rescue of animals at risk. It is also possible call the authorities to take a rescued wild animalas long as it does not pose a danger to whoever collects it, or carry out the voluntary and spontaneous delivery of an animal kept illegally.
Listed below are the main channels for this type of reporting and assistance.
Service
Environmental Military Police, see:
Contact the nearest Environmental Policing unit:
In cases of emergency call: 190
IBAMA, telephone service: 0800 061 8080
In the city of São Paulo, City Hall: 156
Wild Animal Screening and Recovery Center São Paulo (Cetras-SP): 2823-2272
