Rebuilding biodiversity by reintroducing endangered species from the Atlantic Forest is CENIBRA’s ultimate goal with the first release of five pairs of black-fronted piping guans at Ponte Perdida – an environmental protection area in the Rio Doce State Park, managed by IEF (the State Forest Institute) – in the municipality of Bom Jesus do Galho, Minas Gerais. It took place on April 4th and is a significant milestone included in the program to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the Mutum Project , a partnership with CRAX, Society for Research on the Management and Reproduction of Wildlife.
The guan plays a remarkable role in forest regeneration as it is a seed disperser that feeds on more than 41 different fruits, directly contributing to the biome’s ecological balance. However, illegal hunting and habitat destruction has put the guan at risk of extinction in many regions, which has turned reintroduction an essential initiative for its preservation.
According to Thales Claussem, environmental analyst at CENIBRA, the release of the five pairs of guans increases their chances of reproduction and helps sustain the species population in its natural environment. “These initiatives make the local wildlife community increasingly closer to the status it had decades ago,” Claussem, technical manager at the Mutum Project, points out.
This initiative is an extension of actions carried out at the Private Natural Heritage Reserve (PNHR) Macedonia Farm in Ipaba, Minas Gerais. In total, 140 black-fronted piping guans have already been reintroduced into the wild. In addition, 59 chicks from reintroduced birds have been observed, which is a considerable breakthrough in species recovery.
CRAX’s president, Roberto Azeredo, thinks the number of chicks born in the wild could be even higher, since the parents’ protective instinct makes direct observation a challenge. “The guan has a remarkable ability to camouflage its chicks when they notice the presence of humans. Even so, the results are promising for the conservation of the species,” Azeredo explains.
The partnership between CENIBRA and CRAX BRASIL is a real example of how collaboration between the private sector and scientific organizations can come up with effective results in environmental conservation. As it completes 35 years of t work, the Mutum Project reiterates both entities’ commitment to the preservation of nature and a sustainable future.
Mutum Project
In a long-lasting partnership with CRAX (the Society for Research on the Management and Reproduction of Wildlife), CENIBRA has been developing the Mutum Project at its PNHR Macedonia Farm, in Ipaba, since 1990. The project’s core purpose is to reintroduce endangered wild birds into their natural habitat.
The Mutum Project has already reintroduced more than 500 birds of seven different species into the wild, with the red-billed curassow (Crax blumenbachii, mutum in Portuguese) being the first species to be reintroduced, after which the Project was named. Other reintroduced species are the tinamou (Tinamus solitarius), spot-winged wood-quail (Odontophorus capueira), yellow-legged tinamou (Crypturellus n. noctivagus), brown tinamou (Crypturellus obsoletus), dusky-legged guan (Penelope obscura bronzina), and black-fronted piping guan (Aburria jacutinga). In combination with sustainable management and environmental education, this pioneering work has become a national and international benchmark.
About CENIBRA
Located in eastern Minas Gerais, Celulose Nipo-Brasileira S.A. (CENIBRA) operates two bleached short-fiber eucalyptus pulp production lines in its 1.2 million tons/year industrial plant in Belo Oriente. The Company is present in more than 80 municipalities in Minas Gerais and s for more than 8,000 direct jobs. It is the first forest-based company to be recognized through LIFE Certification for its commitment to biodiversity conservation.
Learn more: cenibra-br.diariomineiro.net | 0800 283 3829 | [email protected]
