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world news Dialuna 14 September 2020

Battle on to save Brazil's tropical wetlands from flames

fires in the first 12 days of
September was nearly triple
the figure for the same pe-
riod last year. From January
through August, the number
of fires more than tripled,
topping 10,000.
Fernando Tortato, who has
been working and living near
the Encontro Das Aguas re-
serve since 2008, said he's
never seen the fires as bad as
this year. “It is an immense
area that has been burned and
consumed by the fire. And we
still have another two, three
or four weeks without rain”
ahead, he said. Firefighters, fires is the practice of burn- already have been injured,
troops and volunteers have ing roots to smoke wild bees killed or forced from their
been scrambling to find and from their hives to extract territories by thew fires, ac-
rescue jaguars and other ani- honey. The Pantanal holds cording to Panthera, an in-
mals before they are over- thousands of plant and ani- ternational wild cat conserva-
taken by the flames, which mal species, including 159 tion organization.
have been exacerbated by the mammals, and it abounds Firefighters and the Mato
(AP) — A vast swath of Pantanal region since the worst drought in 47 years, with jaguars, according to the Grosso environment minis-
a vital wetlands is burn- start of August — an ex- strong winds and tempera- World Wildlife Fund. Dur- try have created a center for
ing in Brazil, sweeping panse comparable to the tures exceeding 40 degrees ing the rainy season, rivers rescued animals. “We feel a
across several national area consumed by the his- centigrade (104 fahrenheit). overflow their banks flood little discouraged, but we try
parks and obscuring the toric blazes now afflicting While illegal logging, min- the land, making most of it to have hope to rescue the
sun behind dense smoke. California. It's also well ing and faming operations accessible only by boat and few animals we can,” said
Preliminary figures from beyond the previous fire have been blamed for most plane. In the dry season, veterinarian Karen Ribeiro,
the Federal University of season record from 2005. of the fires in the Amazon wildlife enthusiasts flock to 26, who was treating an in-
Rio de Janeiro, based on region to the north, a spokes- see the normally furtive jag- jured bird on Friday.
satellite images, indicate Brazil's National Institute man for Mato Grosso state's uars lounging on riverbanks, The same day, Brazil's navy
that nearly 5,800 square for Space Research, whose firefighters, Lt. Col. Sheila along with macaws, caimans used a helicopter to rescue a
miles (1.5 million hect- satellites monitor the fires, Sebalhos,said one of the and capybaras. burned jaguar cub and take it
ares) have burned in the said the number of Panantal causes of this year’s Pantanal About 200 jaguars in the area to a veterinary hospital.

Brazil Indigenous group celebrates 6 months without COVID-19

(AP) — A group of Tembé ment. The hundreds of Tem- es formed councils and vis-
men armed with bows and bé people of the Cajueiro, ited residents at their board-
shotguns arrived on mo- Tekohaw and Canindé vil- and-batten homes to educate
torcycles at the wooden lages locked their gate and them about the peril of CO-
gate blocking access to allowed people out only in VID-19 and how it is trans-
their villages in Brazil’s case of emergency, while re- mitted. “We decided to create
Amazon. One of them re- stricting entry to agents from the group to give more orien-
moved the padlock and the federal Indigenous health tation to the families because,
slipped the chain off the care provider, SESAI. Now, even with the speech from
gate. after the number of daily the health technicians, people
COVID-19 cases and deaths continued leaving,” Sandra
“You are invited,” 33-year- in Para has finally plunged, Tembé, a 48-year-old teacher
old Regis Tufo Moreira Tem- the Tembé have begun be- of the native language, said
bé said to a visitor. “What we lieving they will emerge from in an interview. “At the start,
are doing is for everyone, and the pandemic unscathed. it was very difficult for us to the Socio-Environmental Eventually, other members of
for our good.” The gate has “We didn’t go to the city, we because there were families Institute, an Indigenous ad- the village joined in the sing-
seldom swung open since didn’t go to other villages. who we arrived to orient who vocacy group. ing, with others dancing. A
March, which helps to ex- We remained in quarantine. didn’t want to agree, and said, The Tembé also relied on line of children paraded with
plain why the Tembé have We got through, we are still ‘Why are you saying that? a traditional herbal brew to their hands on each others’
gone six months without a getting through,” said Sérgio Why stay in isolation?’ That shore up the health of the shoulders.
single confirmed coronavirus Muxi Tembé, the leader of moment was very critical.” weak and elderly, according
infection. To celebrate that the Tekohow village. “We are to Paulo Sergio Tembé, 50. The next morning, the peo-
milestone, they were prepar- doing a small commemora- She is thankful they listened, Inside his home, he withdrew ple awoke and began donning
ing a festival and invited an tion because of that, and it’s and that her people haven’t from a handmade basket the traditional feather headdress-
Associated Press photogra- because of that we are happy suffered like other ethnici- ingredients for the concoc- es and painting their bodies.
pher to observe. The Tembé that today we do not have any ties. The tally from Indig- tion and displayed them one Two marching groups con-
are the western branch of the cases.” enous organization APIB, by one. verged at the site of the prior
Tenetehara ethnicity, located which includes health min- As the sun went down, Teko- night’s bonfire, where they
in the Alto Rio Guama Indig- Late afternoon on Sept. 9, the istry figures and information haw’s leader, Sérgio Muxi, danced to the rhythm of tra-
enous territory on the west- women of Tekohow gathered from local leaders, shows stood chanting with an elder ditional maracas played by
ern edge of Para state. The vi- inside the communal kitchen there have been 31,306 con- by two bonfires in front of the village’s leader and elders.
rus has infiltrated the lands of to prepare a feast with gi- firmed coronavirus infec- the thatch-roofed meeting The celebration continued
dozens of Indigenous groups ant pots of manioc and rice, tions and 793 deaths among house; they cheered the Tem- for two hours before finally
after they came to nearby cit- plus roasted tucunare fish Indigenous people. It has bé resilience in the face of quieting, and the villagers re-
ies to trade, buy staples and wrapped in banana leaves. At infected members from 158 COVID-19 and offered their turned to their homes, fields
collect emergency welfare the very start of the epidemic, ethnicities, 60% of those thanks in the native language, and forest to resume their
payments from the govern- women from the three villag- found in Brazil, according Sérgio Muxi explained later. daily lives.