The Stampede's animals and a shocking silence invade the Amazon

The colorful and noisy landscape that makes up the biodiversity of the Brazilian Amazon has caused shocking silence in the devastated areas that devour part of the jungle, where snakes, fish and other animals are trying to escape flames advancing rapidly.

About 150 kilometers from Porto Velho, the regional capital of the Amazonian state of Rondonia, a considerable part of the territory burns continuously for more than 24 hours and has already consumed more than five kilometers of this territory.

According to the Efe agency, snakes, fish and even small mammals were struggling to protect themselves from flames. Many of them, however, were caught in huge puddles of mud and eventually perished in the interior.

In the areas surrounding the large fires that have been burning part of the rainforest for weeks, bodies of some animals that died from smoke or flames have also accumulated.

"The fire has been constant for more than 24 hours, I woke up in the middle of the night because of the light and the noise and I alerted my wife," said Efe Aurelio de Andrade, 65, owner of a small farm. located a few meters from where the land burns.

Besides several of her neighbors, Andrade raises more than fifty cows and a few chickens on the property and is worried about the evolution of llamas.

"We are very sad because if this fire reaches them (the neighbors) or ourselves, we run out of animals," lamented the rural owner.

Throughout the day, strong winds shook the region, which could further contribute to the rapid spread of flames in the jungle.

"If, in fact, it reaches our properties, it will be very difficult for us to extinguish the fire, only God can do it," said Andrade.

The terrifying silence that has replaced the song of birds is broken only by the deafening sound of the flames advancing uncontrollably and engulfing more and more the rainforest, which is home to 20% of all fresh water of the world.

The fires in the Amazon have caused unrest in and outside Brazil and have brought various sectors of civil society, environmental organizations and even the leaders of some European powers to make their voices heard. to defend oneself.

The belated reaction of the Brazilian government also provoked a wave of criticism and protests in several cities of the country, which led President Jair Bolsonaro to allow the use of armed forces to contain the fire.

The Amazon, which extends through eight countries in South America, besides Brazil, is the ecosystem with the greatest diversity of flora and fauna and is home to about 10% of all known species.

Ecological organizations warned that recurring fires and deforestation in the Amazon rainforest would have "deep" consequences not only for the rainforest but for "the whole world".

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