Sao Paulo, Brazil - October 07, 2024

Storyline:
Wildfires that swept through Brazil's Sao Paulo state in late August have devastated local agriculture and natural reserves, with local biologists and environmental workers striving to save and feed wildlife which has lost their habitat.

The Sao Paulo state government reports that forest fires in and around natural reserves consumed 8,166 hectares in August and September this year, more than eight times the area burned during the same period last year.

At the Augusto Ruschi Nature Reserve, about a 30-minute drive from downtown Ribeirao Preto, nearly 90 percent of the vegetation in the 900-hectare area has been destroyed.

Once densely forested, the reserve is now a landscape of charred, fallen trees.

Local charities are providing food for surviving animals -- including birds and monkeys -- that lost their habitat. However, many animals perished in the flames or suffered severe burns.

Liliana Milanello, a veterinarian at the Sao Paulo Wildlife Coordination Office of the Secretariat of Environment, Structure and Logistics, said that the majority of wild animals in the nature reserve had died in the fire.

The state government established a crisis response office to coordinate 26 Wildlife Screening and Rehabilitation Centers in late August.

Shotlist:
Sao Paulo, Brazil - Oct 7, 2024:
1. Various of car on road, forest burned by fire;
2. Aerial shots of forest burned by fire;
3. Various of burnt woods;
4. SOUNDBITE (Portuguese) Juliano Mossin, biologist; coordinator of animal protection and welfare, Sertaozinho Secretartiat of Environment and Agriculture (starting with shot 3/ending with shots 5-6):
"The recovery of the nature reserve will be slow because the fire has wiped out all the primary, secondary and tertiary forests and it takes about 15 to 20 years for each forest to grow, depending on the rain and drought conditions. And this is the case if there are no new fires in future."
5. Aerial shot of burnt forest;
6. Various of burnt woods, animall skull;
7. Various of bananas, pawpaws in the wild for animals;
8. Various of birds at riverside, eating corns, pawpaws;
Sao Paulo, Brazil - Recent:
9. Various of vets feeding cub, giving it medical treatment;
Sao Paulo, Brazil - Sept 30, 2024:
10. SOUNDBITE (Portuguese) Liliana Milanello, veterinarian, Wildlife Coordination Office, Secretariat of Environment, Structure and Logistics, Sao Paulo (starting with shot 9/partially overlaid with shot 11):
"So far, we have received 95 animals. The vast majority among them died from very serious injuries caused by the burn. And some 35 animals are still under treatment, awaiting further evaluation to determine if they will be able to return to the wild."
Sao Paulo, Brazil - Recent:
[SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE]
11. Various of wildlife coordination office staff freeing rescued wildlife;
[SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE]
12. Photos of rescued cub, vets saving wild animals.

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