On a technical visit to the Global Sanctuary of Elephants Brazil, the Secretary of State for the Environment, Mauren Lazzaretti noted the positive impacts and reinforced the importance of documenting changes so that they serve as research sources for universities and a reference for future projects.
“Observing the adaptation of the animals and, mainly, verifying how this region has regenerated, we can confirm that the impact is positive both for the environment and for the lives of these animals. It is very gratifying to know that Mato Grosso has a Sanctuary that protects animal life, especially animals that have suffered so much over the years”, celebrates Mauren.
The president of the Elephant Sanctuary in Brazil, Scott Blais, explains that when they arrived at the farm that would become the Sanctuary, the pasture was very low and with few trees. For the elephant specialist, the Cerrado’s ability to regenerate is impressive. “Even having heard that the cerrado is very strong and resilient, it was incredible to observe the evolution of the biome”.
The enterprise has an operating license issued by the State Department for the Environment (Sema) to house up to six animals in an area of more than 20 hectares. Currently, 4 Asian elephants, known as Maia, Rana, Ramba and Lady, live in the development, which asked Sema to extend the license to house up to 10 animals.
The Deputy Secretary for Environmental Licensing and Water Resources, Lilian Santos, explains that every project with polluting potential is evaluated by Sema. “Our objective is to minimize the negative impacts and verify the positive ones to ensure the environmental balance so that the population has a good quality of life”, explains Lilian.
For the secretary, the results presented at the Sanctuary of Elephants are proof that licensing is being conducted properly. “It is very important to verify that the work carried out by the Sema team for licensing the Sanctuary proved to be productive and positive”, she comments.
In the view of those responsible for the Sanctuary, Sema’s service was preponderant for the success of the project. Scott says that even though at first the project was completely foreign to the Secretariat’s routine, the team showed an open mind and heart to receive the project and understand the positive impacts it would bring both to the elephants and to the environment.
The licensing process for the Sanctuary of Elephants Brazil is conducted by the Coordination of Intensive Livestock, Irrigation and Aquaculture Activities with a manifestation from the Coordination of Fauna and Fishing Resources.
The information is from the advisory.
