Deforestation in Brazil’s savanna region surges to highest level since 2019

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Deforestation has surged in Brazil’s Cerrado region, a vast tropical savanna, up nearly 45% compared to 2022 levels. Full December data released Friday by the National Institute for Space Research show that 7.852 km2 (3.000 mi2) of vegetation were lost in the Cerrado biome between January and December 2023. This is the highest level since 2019, when the agency first monitored deforestation in the Cerrado for a full year. Some of the most emblematic animals living in the Cerrado include jaguars, giant armadillos and anteaters, tapirs and maned wolves. Some of the most emblematic animals include jaguars, giant armadillos and anteaters, tapirs and maned wolves.