Back on July we went to the forest fragment Tucano to start sampling this area. I have to confess that I didn’t want to do this now. In 2005 we start a pilot study on ocelots in the fragments. At that time we only had eight camera-traps and set up all in Tucano. Four was taken, probably destroyed by hunters… we had to put the study in standby until we enough resources to buy more equipment. Think it could be better to do this sample at the beginning of the next year, but we had to anticipate despite my fears of new equipment losses. What is done is done… let’s go on!

Then me, Cicinho, Wilson, the vet Marcelo and Camila – a treinee, went to Seo Menezes house in a settlement to go to the forest. Seo Menezes and his wife Dona Francisca always receive us very well with a cup of coffee and we talk about all kind of stuff.

Seo Menezes and his wife Dona Francisca always receive us very well with a cup of coffee and we talk about all kind of stuff.

This particular occasion the conversation flows to an interesting way. Seo Menezes starts to ask why we are bringing jaguars back to the region! We explain that we are not bringing then from other places, they are coming by themselves since Tucano is close to the Morro do Diabo State Park. Then Seo Menezes continues with his point:
- When we arrive here, there were animals all around! We didn’t need to hunt; one could get an armadillo with naked hands! Now these jaguars are killing everything! We don’t see any animals more.
- How about the hunters, Seo Menezes?
- Noooooooooo… nobody hunts here…

… and the conversation flows to an interesting way.

We try to explain in simple words some points. OK. To understand it we need to know a little on the Pontal history. The fragmentation process in Pontal is quit recent (<60 years) an it took place at extremely high rates. Farmers used orange angent – the same chemical used by USA in Vietnam to take off tree leaves – and after that burn the forest to take possession of the land. Thos who have interest in know more I would recommend the must read Warren Dean book “With Broadax and Firebrand: The Destruction of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest”.

With Broadax and Firebrand: The Destruction of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

So let’s bring it in a simple example. Imagine the oceans start to raise… think it’s not difficult to imagine that – since Global Warming came to environmental agenda everybody is talking about it. In this example let’s put this in a extreme rates: there still just a few islands in the world, where used to be the highest mountains. Millions of people would die, but to where the survivors will run?
Same with animals! All the survivors run for their lives to the forest refugees. This “inflates” the population size. This situation is temporary, because there is not enough resource to everybody and individuals starts to die from starvation, low reproductive rate, disease, high infant mortality… Until it reach an “equilibrium”. Some species disappear and usually the most sensitive to environmental changes goes first.
It bring us to another issue: carnivores! The big things that run the world! Without predators, prey goes wild and increase population size. It brings radical changes in the system. More competitive prey species eliminate others and we have a decline in diversity. If you found that interesting you NEED to read “Where the Wild Things Were: Life, Death, and Ecological Wreckage in a Land of Vanishing Predators”, well cited by our friends on SouthWest Jaguars Blog.

Where the Wild Things Were: Life, Death, and Ecological Wreckage in a Land of Vanishing Predators

Well… after a while trying to explain to Seo Menezes that jaguars are not the real problem we decided to go to the forest and work! After all, is what we suppose to do in there.
Tucano is a definitely a dense bush! Lot of hard work and we could install only three cameras in one day! Despite Seo Menezes delusion that nobody hunt in there we found five “cevas” and a jararaca snake to complete day.

Where is the snake?

A ceva is a place where hunters frequently leave food for pacas, agoutis, peccaries, etc. When they see that the animals are using it they construct a rudimentary ladder in a tree and wait. When the animal comes to a meal, it becomes the meal…

When the animal comes to a meal, it becomes the meal…

See you in Monday!