In the Amazon, beetles and flowering trees have developed a tight bond. Hundreds of beetle species thrive off of and pollinate blossoms, helping to maintain some of the highest biodiversity on Earth.
To understand the barriers endangered species face when trying to traverse their habitat, it helps to think of their environment like an electrical circuit board.
As deforestation rates in Brazil rise, it's worth asking whether the country can repeat the successes of the last decade. Current trends don't bode well.
The First Mass in Brazil (1860) by Victor Meirelles.
Wikipedia
The short answer is that leeches need blood to grow and reproduce. But it's in their interests to do it carefully, without causing too much pain, and in spots that are hard to find.
The world’s remaining wilderness. Dark blue = terrestrial. Light blue = marine.
Modified with permission from Protect the last of the wild, Watson et al, Nature (2018)
A recent spate of attacks have left local people scared for their safety in rural Madagascar, threatening vital conservation work in the nearby rainforest.
Brazil has set itself a target of restoring almost 50,000 sq km of the Amazon rainforest by 2030. But it won't get there without changing its policies and how it engages with local people.