A photo of a capybara. The Pantanal is home to the capybara, which is classified as the world's largest rodent!
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Explore the Wetlands of Brazil!
News story originally written on February 19, 2002
Wetlands are very important
ecosystems. What makes them different from other places? The most obvious thing is that they are wet!
There is a very important wetland in South America called the Pantanal. It's important because it is so big and so many animals and plants live there. Over 700 different birds live in the Pantanal wetland, including herons, egrets, storks, parrots, and ducks. The Pantanal is also home to caiman, relative of the N. American crocodile, and capybara, the largest rodent in the world. Threatened animals like jaguars, maned wolves, giant anteaters, and marsh deer also live in the Pantanal.
People are hurting the Pantanal area by polluting, chopping down too many trees, and killing the animals for their furs. Groups like Conservation International are trying to help. Conservation International is hosting a trip to the Pantanal starting February 25, 2002. To get daily email updates of the trip, email j.byrd@conservation.org with your email information. Or go to their website for daily updates during the trip.
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