Fears for Brazil's caimans living in a dirty canal
STORY: These caimans live among trash
in a canal in Rio de Janeiro
[LOCATION: Recreio dos Bandeirantes, Brazil]
Their habitat has become
a dump site for the community
But there's another serious problem
Authorities believe these animals
are hunted for human consumption
[Mario Moscatelli, Biologist]
"In Brazil, hunting is a crime, it’s not allowed. Then, whoever is hunting caimans is committing a crime. And whoever is consuming this meat is taking a risk because the toxin that’s produced by cyanobacteria is not eliminated when fried or boiled or in any meat treatment."
On April 18, authorities in Rio launched
a crackdown on illegal hunting in the region
