Earth Touch Blog

Did you know?

Did You Know? Pantanal Oct 18 2007

The Pantanal wetland of Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay supports 650 species of birds, 80 species of mammals, 260 fish species and 50 reptile species. It is estimated that there are 10 million caimans here. (See the Earth-Touch clip, Caimans swim and bask.)

Wildlife news from around the world

Deforestation in Brazil slows: Report Aug 28 2007

New figures suggest the rate of deforestation in Brazil may be slowing slightly – though it is still a fast-continuing trend. BBC News reports that Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva announced a 25% decrease in the destruction of Brazil’’s share of the forest (the biggest), between August 2005 and July 2006, the lowest rate since at least 2000.

This translates to saving 600 000 trees. Da Silva attributed the decline to stricter environmental policies, including a crackdown on illegal logging.

Wildlife news from around the world

Study counts rare river dolphins Aug 20 2007

A group of Bolivian, Colombian, and Argentine scientists are taking part in a year-long census of freshwater dolphins in the Amazon and Orinoco river basin. The river dolphins of South America are among the most endangered mammal species on earth.

Read the Christian Science Monitor’s in-depth reporting on this study of the rare powder-pink dolphins, entitled ‘A quest to save South America’s freshwater dolphins’.

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