Fires in Brazil threaten jaguars, houses and plants in the world’s largest tropical wetlands

By LUCAS DUMPHREYS and DIANE JEANTET
Associated Press

POCONE, BRAZIL (AP) — In the first two weeks of November, fires fueled by unusually dry and hot weather destroyed nearly 770,000 hectares (1.9 million acres) of the Pantanal, the world’s largest tropical wetlands. That’s according to preliminary figures from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. This accounts for 65% of the damage done by fires in the region this year. The fire season usually ends in October. The Pantanal holds thousands of plant and animal species and it abounds with jaguars, according to the World Wildlife Fund. During the rainy season, most of it is accessible only by boat and plane. In the dry season, wildlife enthusiasts flock to see the normally furtive jaguars lounging on riverbanks, along with macaws, caimans and capybaras.