Fires continue to burn the Pantanal in Brazil, one of the most important wildlife habitats and the largest wetland in the world.
These are the worst fires recorded since data began being collected in 1998 and have resulted in the deaths of many wild animals, including numerous endangered species that scientists have been working to protect for decades.
The wetland usually floods for much of the year, but in recent years, it has “dried up” due to severe droughts, which scientists have linked to deforestation and climate change.
Around 4,700 species of animals and plants live there, 80% of which are located in Brazil and the rest in Bolivia and Paraguay.
Since the start of the year, fires have burned over 18,220 square kilometers in an area totaling 195,000 square kilometers, which, for context, is larger than the whole of Greece.
Scientists say it is too early to determine the exact number of animals killed in the fires, as many are in remote areas that rescue teams cannot access.
However, they fear the toll could exceed that of 2020 when fires killed about 17 million animals and burned nearly one-third of the Pantanal in Brazil.
