Brazil wildfires: Parts of Pantanal wetlands ablaze amid drought
Firefighters are battling wildfires in Brazil’s Pantanal, the world’s largest tropical wetland. The Pantanal is home to jaguars, giant anteaters and giant river otters. Close to 32,000 hectares have already been destroyed by the fires in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, local media report. Climate experts say this year’s wildfire season has started earlier and is more intense than in previous years. Firefighters said their efforts to extinguish the flames were being hampered by high winds over the weekend. The region has also seen less rain than in other years, which has made it easier for the fires to spread.