The Amazon is in crisis as not only the flora is threatened by deforestation, fires and degradation, but also the fauna by continuous illegal hunting for the massive industry that makes fashion straight from the skin and furs of wild animals in Amazon rainforests.
According to a recent report by IPBES (Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services), an estimated 1 million species are currently facing extinction due to the deeper expansion of human activity into the rainforest.
On 24 March, it was found that a giant northern green anaconda named Ana Julia was found dead, possibly due to a gunshot wound, in the Formoso River in the rural area of Bonito in southern Brazil’s Mato Grosso do Sul State five weeks ago.
The 26-foot northern green anaconda weighed around 440 lbs, or 31 stone, and had a head the same size as a human’s. There have been reports claiming the snake may have been shot, but a Dutch researcher who helped discover Ana Julia stressed the cause of death was still being investigated.
Professor Freek Vonk, who was on the team that first found the southern green anaconda that has since been killed, expressed his condolences on Instagram and shared the sad news.
“The colossal giant snake, known for its iron-like strength and resilience, has been a survivor in the waters of Bonito for decades. As far as we know, she was super healthy and still in the prime of her life, so she could have produced many offspring in the years to come. As there are not many of these colossal giant snakes swimming around, the blow to biodiversity is enormous,” says Vonk.
“The cause of death is currently being investigated, considering all possible options. So it’s also possible that she died a natural death,” he adds.
The IPBES has warned that the decline in global biodiversity poses a significant threat to the well-being of people worldwide.
In the Amazon rainforest, human activities such as deforestation are pushing thousands of plant and animal species to the brink of extinction. More than 10,000 species of plants and animals are at high risk of extinction due to the destruction of the Amazon rainforest, 35 per cent of which has already been destroyed.
Biodiversity loss can hinder and even reduce the capacity of ecosystems to contribute to climate regulation, leading to more rapid climate change and implications for national and international security. Therefore, in this critical era, the preservation and conservation of both flora and fauna have become urgent priorities.