Brazil wildfires in 2020 killed an estimated 17 million animals including snakes: Study

Research by scientists in Brazil revealed that the total number of vertebrate creatures killed by massive wildfires throughout 2020 in the Pantanal wetlands is over 17 million. Between the period of January and November, wildfires ravaged the world's biggest tropical wetland, burning 30% of it.

As per BBC, after coming in contact with direct fires, reptiles, birds, as well as primates have perished. The loss estimation has been published in peer-reviewed journal Scientific Reports. 

During 2020, approximately 22,000 different fires were reported, according to Dr. Mariana Napolitano Ferreira, Chief of Science at Brazil's World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). Further, Dr. Alex Lees of Manchester Metropolitan University, an ecologist who has researched significantly in Central Brazil, particularly in the Pantanal, stated that the wildfires of 2020 were "apocalyptic" despite the fact the Pantanal burns naturally.

Furthermore, the study's methodology involves counting the corpses of deceased animals in burnt regions in the field for a period of 24 to 48 hours after the wildfire had passed. The scientists proceeded along tracts at certain intervals, inspecting every dead animal they came across. During the survey, the scientists were successful in identifying the species of the 300 creatures they discovered. They then extrapolated from the region they surveyed to get the overall number of animals that died, BBC reported.  

Findings of the research

The research which was directed by Dr. Walfrido Moraes Tomas, an ecologist at Brasilia's Embrapa Pantanal research institution told the BBC that given the disaster's broad geographic scope, he and his colleagues were "not surprised by the numbers". However, he said that he was surprised at how various animal groups were affected differently. 

"The extremely high number of snakes that were killed makes us wonder about the cascade effects," Tomas explained. 

According to the research, reptiles had the highest death rate, accounting for more than 79% of the total number of deceased animals, in which over 95% of them were snakes, and 97% were aquatic creatures. Mammalian species made up a little over 15% of the total, while amphibians made up 4% of the count. The number of dead birds discovered was fewer than expected. 

The wetlands, which stretch over Brazil, Paraguay, and Bolivia, are among the world's greatest biodiverse places. Millions of species dwell in the 140,000-160,000 sq km region, including jaguars, anteaters, and migratory birds. 

In addition to that, more frequent wildfires, according to the researchers, are "among the most visible consequences of human‐induced climate change". However, despite the study's grim result, Dr. Tomas believes that evaluating the numbers of the tragedy would help the region build appropriate fire control methods and regulations. 

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