The Federal Police seized today (26) 15 giraffes and arrested two men for mistreatment of animals at the Portobello Resort & Safari, in Mangaratiba, on the Costa Verde of Rio de Janeiro. The action was carried out within the scope of a police investigation initiated by the Police Station for Repression of Crimes against the Environment and Historical Heritage (Delemaph) and accompanied by environmental analysts from the Brazilian Institute for the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama), to verify information about of the death of three specimens from an original set of 18 giraffes imported from South Africa.
Federal police officers and environmental analysts found that the animals were being mistreated and, as a result, two men responsible for maintaining the captivity were arrested. The giraffes were seized. Ibama will be responsible for the supervision and will adopt all the necessary measures to protect the integrity of the giraffes.
The prisoners were taken to the Federal Police Superintendence in Rio de Janeiro, where they were charged. The investigation will continue with the aim of ascertaining the circumstances and legality of importing the animals, as well as the conditions for maintaining and caring for the giraffes.
Defense
On December 14, 2021, six giraffes broke down the protective fence and fled. Then they were recaptured and three of them died. In a statement, BioParque do Rio, responsible for resort safari, reported that during handling operations, a group of giraffes escaped from a containment area and, after returning to the pens, the animals did not resist.
Giraffes are very sensitive and, therefore, certain situations can lead to the animal’s organic imbalance. BioParque do Rio “reaffirms its responsibility for the management of fauna, with the long-term nature restoration projects and claims that there is no mistreatment as they try to suggest in unfounded complaints.”
The note informs that the resort works very seriously on the tripod of research, conservation and education and with great responsibility and care in the management of fauna, including a long-term project for a program dedicated to the integrated conservation of giraffes.
“The group of 18 giraffes came from a place authorized for sustainable management and community development with these species in South Africa. The institution was duly approved by Organs competent Brazilian and South African bodies”, says the note in another excerpt.
The document also says that “we are committed to being the coordinators in Brazil of the Working Group for giraffe conservation efforts by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums of Brazil (AZAB). In this role, BioParque do Rio will lead research and conservation projects for the species in the country, with a primary focus on developing techniques using genetics and reproduction technology to increase the species.”
Species management is an important complementary tool for biodiversity conservation and Article 9 of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), signed by Brazil in 1992, was dedicated to it.
