Our actions have consequences.

In 2010, a local sports club wanted to find a higher, more dramatic venue for its activities. They looked to Tapuio, which at 700 meters (2296 feet) is pretty high. They didn’t consult anyone, didn’t bother to think about the ramifications of their activities. They just dove in. This image shows the area before it was destroyed.

My camera was stolen in 2010, but I have taken photos since with a very bad cell phone camera and this is the area today:

The same area showing the location of the rock with the grotto and birdcages:

Here are a few of the cages. Again, I have to apologize for the bad images since the only camera I have is a really bad cell phone:

For some birds, this is where they will spend the remainder of their lives.  That little cage.

There were sacks and sacks of these cages.

A whole industry

Man dearly loves a cage, hates freedom, loves to destroy.

If I had a better camera, I could have taken better images. but these at least serve to show what is taking place.

Here is an area burned off so that you can have more and better barbecue.

I didn’t take any pictures of the lack of orchids. When I first went up to this area in 2008/9, the area was rich in orchids of all kinds, including cattleyas. I found not a single orchid this time. Not one. They have all been collected, sold off to pay for TVs and beer parties.

Please tell me something can be done.

Salve Tapuio

Update: Although this article was first posted back in 2014, not much has changed. I notified IBAMA about the birdcages and I contacted IDAF about the burned area. I never heard back from IDAF but IBAMA did, eventually, show up, arresting many people and destroying the cages. I wish I could say that ended the activity, but it didn’t. And the area continues to be exploited for plants and wildlife.