Journey to Pousada Trijunção, sustainabilty and conservation in Brazil’s great savannah

UN Report: Nature’s Dangerous Decline ‘Unprecedented’; Species Extinction Rates ‘Accelerating’

• Current global response insufficient
• ‘Transformative changes’ needed to restore and protect nature
• 1,000,000 species threatened with extinction

https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/blog/2019/05/nature-decline-unprecedented-report/

By Simon Heyes

It was soon after the UN report on biodiversity that Gareth and I travelled to visit our new partner in Brazil, Pousada Trijunção. From Brasilia we travelled 5 hours by hilux (NB alternatively you can take a 40 minute light aircraft) into the vast Cerrado, Brazil’s great savannah…highly biodiverse, threatened biome.

“Any love is already a little bit of health, a rest in the madness” wrote João Guimarães Rosa, in his classic Grande Sertão: Veredas, also the name for the huge and largely unmonitored 200,000 hectare National Park that Fazenda Trijunção borders. And arriving at Pousada Trijunção (pron. tree-jun-sow) felt like the relief of exhaling after having held your breath and then inhaling slowly and deeply. We walked into a very beautiful, peaceful place – late afternoon warm, soft light filtering through the leaves on the trees as the sun lowered to the horizon. Bird filled gardens and a heartfelt welcome; a kind of Eden after a stretch of road with mile after mile of pivot-watered monoculture on one side, utterly devoid of trees where only the odd burrowing owl appeared. Our environmental choice in stark relief.

 

 

How threatened? According to the WWF – the Cerrado covers more than 20% of Brazil yet is not nearly as recognized as the Amazon and has less than 3% afforded legal protection. “These wooded grasslands once covered an area half the size of Europe, its native habitats and rich biodiversity are being destroyed faster than the neighbouring rainforest… Unsustainable agricultural activities, particularly soy production and cattle ranching, as well as burning of vegetation for charcoal, continue to pose a major threat to the Cerrado’s biodiversity.” Currently there remains less than 50% of the original area in Brazil (estimates vary, some put this figure at much lower), and it is judged that 150 species of animals are at risk of extinction as a result of destruction or damage to their habitat. The jaguar, ocelot, armadillo, anteater, maned wolf and grey eagle are among these species.

 

 

In biodiversity the Cerrado is the richest savannah in the world, home to more than 850 species of birds, 251 mammals, 482 reptiles and amphibians and 1,200 fish as well as 13,000 plant species (about 5% of all plant species of the world). 

 

At Trijunção guests can see more than 210 species of birds (including Blue and Yellow, and Red macaws), Maned Wolf, Giant Anteaters, and tapirs. Trijunção’s 33000 hectares span 3 states, and 3300 hectares (10%) comprises Fazenda Santa Luiza, focussed on experimental farming including to come shortly carbon neutral beef (certified by Embrapa’s Boas Practicas Agro Pecuarias – Best Practice). This is the only farm in the whole of Bahia that has this certification (and to the highest Gold level), Allan the knowledgable farm manager proudly told me and added that Fazenda Santa Luzia aims to innovate, finding ways of adding value to the cerrado so quality and yield can increase, an alternative to vast low-intensivity farms that continually require more space & clearing of vegetation.

 

During our 3 nights stay our fully guided excursions included wonderful birding right by the lodge; Maned Wolf tracking with the Onçafari science team; lunch, swimming and paddling at the beautiful Rio Formoso; a visit to the experimental farm Fazenda Santa Luzia, and to the breeding centre run by Allan’s wife Renata.

 

One evening Gareth, Allan and I cycled down to the other side of the lake at Rio Formoso for a truly spectacular sunset, with macaw filled palm trees at the water’s edge. Nothing quite so beautiful, totally magical. Paulo the brilliant resident manager picked us up for the return as pitch black quickly descended and the night cacophony of cicadas erupted around us to merge with sqwarking macaws.

 

We saw alot of birds during our stay (I can send you a list if you are interested), small monkeys (micos), deer, rheas, guinea pigs, (favourite Maned Wolf prey), the extraordinary looking Seriemas (a bird perfect for a role in a Wallace and Gromit film) and ant-eaters. Also recorded – mainly by camera trap – are resident jaguars (incl black panthers!), pumas, crab eating and hoary foxes, skunks, peccaries, various species of armadillo, 3 species of deer, opossum, and marmoset.

 

 

 

It’s certainly not the only draw but Onçafari work habituating the Maned Wolf is a big attraction. Whilst its early days compared to the well established project at Caiman Ecological Refuge in the Pantanal, with hard work and dedication they are making great progress and our experience of tracking with Val and Wellyngton was wonderful. Sightings are not always close – the vagaries of radio collar triangulation – but one warm dusk we were treated to the unusual spectacle of 2 Maned Wolves fighting for territory, and then later we had a tantalising closer look at Nhorinhá before she disappeared into the bush. Currently 3 Maned Wolves are collared (only 1 working, plans for more) – Nhorinhá (female, gregarious and unfazed by vehicles), Diadorim (young adult male) and Vereda (young female, believed we were told to have formed an attachment with Diadorim).

 

 

 

**breaking news. Vereda had indeed formed an ‘attachment’ and this was the result, 2 puppies!

 

Maned Wolves (also see Wiki) are neither a wolf nor a fox but the only species in the genus Chrysocyon (meaning “golden dog”). They are very territorial (20-120 sq kms), usually solitary despite it is believed mating for life, with the pairs coming together only for mating (April to June). They are a top predator and an important umbrella species. The Oncafari team have also identified 7 jaguars of which 2 are black (panthers) through the network of 19 camera traps. There are also plans to habituate the black panthers.

 

The Lodge 

Pousada Trijunção is a beautiful upmarket wildlife lodge, a peaceful and very comfortable haven. 7 rooms beautifully designed and well equipped, decorated with crafts and typical photos of the Cerrado. Wonderful cerrado cuisine prepared by chef Andre and served with a smile by Veronica. The base from which to venture forth to explore into the world’s most biodiverse savannah, as well as an important conservation project & experimental farm. Stays include all meals and guided excursions. For more information contact [email protected]

http://www.senderos.co.uk/en/partnerships/pousada-trijuncao.php

 

 

 

 

 

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