In the heart of the Private Natural Heritage Reserve (RPPN) Porto Cajueiro, located in the municipality of Januária, in the North of Minas, a notable event celebrates the fruits of the effort dedicated to biodiversity conservation: the birth of the first boll weevils (Sporophila maximiliani), a species which is at risk of extinction and has not been seen loose in Brazil for decades. Six specimens were born in the breeding facilities of the conservation unit, maintained by Usina Coruripe, marking a significant step in the project to reintroduce the species into the wild.
The newborns now begin a journey of growth and adaptation, preparing to be released in the next reproductive period, estimated to be around 12 months. "We have been working for ten years to reach this moment. Now, we are maturing the issue of reintroducing these animals into the wild", explains the Sustainability Manager at Usina Coruripe, Bertholdino Apolônio Junior.
The challenge of reproduction, faced with the creation of a conservation breeding site within the reserve, is just the first step. The real test will come during the reintroduction and release process into the wild, as these birds are frequent targets of predators. "It's a continuous process, aiming to increase the number of puppies to expand release opportunities", points out Bertholdino. Even after being released, the specimens will continue to be monitored by the Bicudo Project team.
After decades of illegal hunting, the bird —which stands out in nature for the sound and power of its song— was on the list of extinct animals in Minas Gerais and had not been seen in the region for almost 30 years. In contrast, the captive population should reach, according to the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), 180,000 boll weevils in cages spread across the country. The Porto Cajueiro RPPN is part of the Sertão Veredas-Peruaçu corridor, one of the priority areas for conservation of the Cerrado, and is within the boll weevil's original distribution area.
Coruripe's Sustainability manager also highlights the importance of the project in developing procedures and guidelines for the reintroduction of bird species into the wild. "There was no study on the reintroduction of birds into nature. The great merit of the project is to create a procedure and a roadmap for their release. Reintroduction is not an easy process, much less a simple one; our work will serve as a basis for other similar projects ", he highlights.
The reintroduction process is not limited to technical aspects, but also includes awareness-raising actions with the local community about the importance of preserving biodiversity. "The idea is to make people aware that it is better to hear the boll weevil singing in nature than in a cage", he comments. A symbol of the fight for biodiversity conservation, the boll weevil has become a living testament to the importance of conservation units. "We even joke that it's the mineirinho returning to nature. This is just one more step towards the preservation not only of the weevils, but of the entire local ecosystem", says Bertholdino.
In addition to Coruripe, the Bicudo Project includes the Ariramba Institute for Nature Conservation, CEPF/IEB, Boticário Group Foundation for Nature Protection, Clube dos Criadores de Criadores de Canto do Brasil, State University of Maranhão, Museum of Zoology at the University of São Paulo, Federal University of São Carlos, Angá and Semad/IEF. The project is also part of the Sustainable Partnerships initiative, created to enable partner companies to participate in projects developed or supported by Usina Coruripe. To date, the project has six large companies: Ubyfol, FMC, Bayer, Corteva, Coplana and Mosaic.
Other initiatives at RPPN
Acting on several fronts – mainly in the maintenance and protection of biological diversity, promotion of studies and initiatives to raise awareness among the population – RPPN Porto Cajueiro has an area of 6.2 thousand hectares within a property of 9.9 thousand hectares, with the predominant cerrado biome.
Coruripe maintains a permanent mammal monitoring project, which helps in the development of strategies and actions to protect, conserve and manage the species. There is also the collection of information to inventory anuran fauna species in areas of the Carinhanha River, in order to identify effective measures for the conservation of amphibian fauna.