Environment

As a consequence, in 1998, Mocó Agropecuária Ltda. created the first Private Nature Reserve (known as RPPN in Brazilian legislation) in the high sertão. In this Reserve, much research has been carried out, resulting in published studies.

amassa-barro

In 1999, the first task was a survey of the "Birds of Tamanduá Farm", carried out by Dr. Maria de Lyra Neves and Dr. Wallace Rodrigues Telino Júnior. This inventory catalogs 146 species and 43 families of birds, of which 12 are considered endemic to Brazil. The bird fauna of the sertão is much richer than one might think!

Bigode

In 2000, a "Phyto-sociological Survey" of the Private Nature Reserve was effected by Forestry Engineer Lúcio Valério Coutinho de Araújo. 16 botanical families and 25 species of individuals were identified.

In 2001, the Brazilian Institute for the Environment and Renewable Resources, IBAMA, certified Tamanduá Farm as a Brazilian Wild Fauna Species Breeder, for conservation purposes.

Tamanduá Farm breeds the mocó (kerodon rupestris, of the family of caviidae) in captivity, in order to return it to its natural environment later, thus repopulating some traditional areas of its habitat thanks to this reintroduction. In fact, the mocó, a small native rodent, typical of the rocky regions of the semi-arid zone, was decimated in the region, as a result of an intensive hunting because it was famed for its "strong" meat, even thought to be an aphrodisiac; also, in the past, because its stomach was used as a source of rennet for the production of cheese.

Hunting is forbidden and strictly controlled on the Farm. Thanks to this measure, the deer reappeared in the region, as well as the felines gato mirim, the blue cat and even the "goat jaguar". Foxes, tamarins, armadillos and maned wolves are commonplace on the Farm. Likewise, the tinamou, the scaled pigeon –the emblematic bird of the Northeast – the arribaçã and the field dove, formerly almost extinct, are frequently seen and heard in the woods, as well as the crested duck, the irerê and the jacana in the reservoirs. The legendary laughing falcon, which is said to bring in the drought, once more voices its distressing call

Thus, Tamanduá Farm became a refuge, a sanctuary for the wild fauna, where not only the IBAMA, but also the State and Federal police, and even the Patos Fire Brigade, release mammals and birds confiscated in raids on the fairs and shops of the region. The Farm has a small structure that enables it to treat animals that are weak or injured, before reintroducing them in their biotype, under the supervision of a veterinarian.

Pierre Landolt's statement,
Fazenda Tamandua's owner,
as told in the publication
BIRDS OF TAMANDUÁ FARM

Although I was born in a city, I was brought up in very close contact with nature, developing great love and respect for it. This sensitivity is something I inherited from my family.

My grandfather, Edouard Marcel Sandoz, one of last century’s great sculptors, was so fascinated by nature that he specialized in representing animal life, working with all the possible natural materials, from wood to granite, from precious stones to marble, and from amber to crystals.

My great-uncle even created the "Réserve de la Pierreuse" in the Swiss Alps, which is, up to this day, a well respected and recognized area for environmental protection for all the fauna and flora of that region.

Twenty-four years ago, when I arrived at Tamanduá Farm, in the heart of the "sertão" of the State of Paraíba, I was very happy to discover an impressive area, still untouched.

For mysterious reasons, neither the long "white gold" cycle, nor the needs of traditional extensive cattle raising, had led successive owners of this land to deforest that rich, impressive area, which was called "Paulo Mendes’ plot".

Shady trees, dominating dense, virgin bush, hid within it a significant fauna of mammals, birds and insects, being born and dying in the difficult seasonal cycle of the sertão.

My first measure was to forbid hunting and all wood extraction. The reaction did not take long: soon we saw the return of deer, armadillo, guaxinim (a type of raccoon), and wild felines – maracajá, blue and red cats – while foxes and tamarins were able to multiply in peace.

The birds were just as vigorous and the whole Farm was blessed with the flight, singing and colors of a multitude of birds, in the reservoirs and on their banks, in the cattle pen, in the orchard, in the houses and workshops.

Thanks to the excellent contacts, precious guidance and support given by the IBAMA representatives in the State of Paraíba, I decided to convert this " Paulo Mendes’ plot" into a Private Nature Reserve, in accordance with the law.

Today, this has become a reality, and this 325 hectare area, legally recorded and protected, is added to Tamanduá Farm’s legal reserves – another 614 hectares – forming one of the biggest sanctuaries of the high North-Eastern "sertão".

Pierre Landolt

Pierre Landolt, the owner of Tamanduá Farm, is also the founder of Banco AXIAL – now AXIALPAR Ltda. – first financial entity in Brazil dedicated exclusively to promoting and investing in activities that ensure sustainable development. Click here to learn about AXIALPAR Ltda.

Organic farms help biodiversity

Organic production systems neither degrade nor contaminate the soil, do not pollute the water, but preserve the fauna and flora, without jeopardizing the delicate environmental balance of natural biodiversity reserves.

Juazeiro
(Ziziphus joazeiro Mart.)