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After the Flames, Hope
Tapir saved from fire, Pantanal region, Brazil, 2024
Category - Change Makers: Reasons for Hope
This tapir (Tapirus terrestris) was named Valente, which means ‘brave’ in Portuguese. He was rescued in the Pantanal with severe burns on all four legs and his ears, unable to move. The approximately one-year-old male was saved by the Onçafari project team operating in the Caiman Ecological Reserve. After undergoing intensive treatment to heal his injuries, the goal was to eventually release him back into the wild. Valente survived one of the largest fires ever recorded in the Pantanal biome. In 2024, more than 2.6 million hectares, or 17% of the biome, burned. According to a study conducted by ArcPlan and supported by WWF-Brazil, the region is experiencing a dramatic reduction in water coverage, with satellite imagery showing an 82% decrease in areas that have typically remained flooded for six months of the year or more since 1985.
24-70 mm f/2.8 Lens - 1/500 sec at f/11 ISO 800