Name: The fight to end rare-animal trafficking in Brazil
Uploaded: 2010-03-23T11:01:00Z
Duration: 5 min 17 s
Description: Biologist Juliana Machado Ferreira, a TED Senior Fellow, talks about her work helping to save birds and other animals stolen from the wild in Brazil. Once these animals are seized from smugglers, she asks, then what?

Juliana Machado Ferreira: The fight to end rare-animal trafficking in Brazil

The fight to end rare-animal trafficking in Brazil

Biologist Juliana Machado Ferreira, a TED Senior Fellow, talks about her work helping to save birds and other animals stolen from the wild in Brazil. Once these animals are seized from smugglers, she asks, then what?

Millions of wild animals are stolen from Brazil’s forests each year to fuel the pet trade, with only a small fraction ever recovered. Saving these creatures is just the start; many end up in grim triage centers where their future remains uncertain. While some advocates call for euthanasia due to the challenges of rehabilitation and release, others argue responsible reintroduction can restore both genes and ecological roles to struggling populations. The real challenge is building knowledge and public action for effective, ethical solutions.