ACRE, BRAZIL — A male cougar, nicknamed Guapo, was transferred Monday (21) to Rio Branco by teams from the Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama) as part of a species conservation strategy. The animal was in Porto Velho, in Rondônia state, and was taken to Chico Mendes Environmental Park in the Acre state capital.

The transfer to Rio Branco aims to enable Guapo to mate, which is expected to occur within two or three months, with the only female cougar living at Chico Mendes Environmental Park, named Sol.

The animal was rescued in poor condition as a cub in 2023 from a soybean plantation. At the time, he was taken to the Center for the Screening of Wild Animals (Cetas) in Porto Velho, where he underwent a recovery process.

Despite his physical rehabilitation, Guapo did not learn how to hunt and find food and, therefore, is unable to survive on his own in the wild.

According to environmental analyst and head of the Porto Velho Cetas, Aquilas Mascarenhas, releasing Guapo into the wild could put the animal's life at risk due to his lack of these skills. Therefore, the alternative found was to transfer him to Acre through the Management and Conservation Program.

“Every animal that arrives here at Cetas stays temporarily; it is not permanent. So, our main objective is to work on the animal's recovery and, if possible, return it to nature. In some cases, as with this specimen, it was not possible to carry out this reintroduction work, but we also work on placement in sanctuaries and zoos, which is what will happen now,” he explained.

Before traveling to Acre, Guapo underwent a complete evaluation, including examinations to ensure he was fit for transportation.

The operation was supported by the State Secretariat for Environmental Development (Sedam), in partnership with Ibama, which was responsible for transporting the animal. The journey from Porto Velho to Rio Branco took about six hours.

“There has to be great care during loading, transportation and until the final destination, which means we have to travel about 500 kilometers to reach his destination, so that the transportation is as little traumatic as possible,” Aquilas concluded.

Amazon Agency