The fire that has raged in the Pantanal for over 40 days reached the Encontro das Águas State Park, in the town of Poconé, Mato Grosso, on September 7^th. The park has the highest concentration of spotted jaguars in the world, according to the state government.

Nearly half of the park’s area has burned by now, according to the fire department. Of the park’s 108 thousand hectares, 51 thousand hectares have been affected by the flames (1 hectare is about the same size as a football field).

The fire department says it sent in two more teams on September 8th to help the 46 firefighters who had already been fighting the fire there. According to the organization, there are six planes taking part in the operation and about 30 thousand litres of water have already been dispensed to contain the fire. The goal is to prevent the fire from reaching the eastern part of the park where the jaguars’ haven is located.

Overall, 136 people – including firefighters and other workers – are engaged in fighting the fires in the Pantanal. The priority is to protect inns, farms, and wooden bridges on the Transpantaneira Highway. The operation began on August 7th.

This year, fire outbreaks in the Pantanal rose by 240% when compared to 2019, according to the National Institute for Space Research (Inpe). The fire has already burned through 1.6 million hectares of the biome in the states of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul in 2020. This is equivalent to ten cities in the state of São Paulo being burned down. 

Caused by human activities such as burning garbage and preparing land for planting, fire spreads with dry weather, heat, and strong winds from the region.

Encontro das Águas State Park

Created in 2004, it is over 100 kilometres from Cuiabá, the capital of Mato Grosso state. The park was created to protect regional fauna and flora and attracts tourists who want to observe jaguars while on boat trips on the Cuiabá and Piquiri rivers.

The best time for viewing is during the dry season, between July and September. During those months, jaguars approach riverbanks in search of water and food, making it is easier to view the animal from the boat.

Jaguar

The jaguar is the largest cat in the Americas and can weigh up to 135 kilograms. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), it is considered a vulnerable species and is classified as nearly threatened with extinction.

Sources: Agência Brasil, Folha de S.Paulo, G1, government of Mato Grosso, O Eco, Repórter MT, International Union for Nature Conservation, UOL, and WikiParques.

Questions

1) Which is the correct statement?

a) There are 108 thousand jaguars in the Encontro das Águas State Park.
b) The park was created 16 years ago.
c) The Pantanal fire started more than three months ago.
d) Five airplanes help fight the fire in the Pantanal.

2) What other Pantanal animals do you know of?

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