RoutePalmas

Palmas Cerrado: Central Brazil's Ecological Heartland

Palmas is surrounded by the cerrado biome — the world's most biodiverse savanna and one of the most threatened; the wildlife around the city includes giant anteaters, maned wolves, and extraordinary birdlife

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1
Giant anteater in the Cerrado
The giant anteater - the prehistoric-looking mammal with its impossibly long snout - lives in the cerrado around Palmas; watching them on the open savanna at dawn tearing into termite mounds is a spectacular experience
2
Maned Wolf Observations
The maned wolf - with its striking fox-like face and black mane - inhabits the cerrado grasslands around Palmas; the animals are crepuscular and are best seen at dawn and dusk on open grassland
3
Cerrado Birdlife
The Cerrado has 935 species of birds and many endemic species - the Amazonian blue-armored parrot, the hyacinth and brasília tapaculo are specialties of the Palma area; the city's man-made lake has added to the diversity of waterfowl
4
Serra do Lajeado State Park
The Serra do Lajeado Park immediately above the city of Palma protects the cerrado and gallery forest - the waterfall trails, panoramic lake views and wildlife make it the city's accessible natural area
5
Capim Dourado Conservation
The golden grass that makes Jalapão's craft tradition is found in Tocantin's wet cerrado – its sustainable harvest, linked to conservation, shows how cerrado communities can benefit economically from protecting the biome
6
Water table and Cerrado
The Cerrado's deep root systems - some reaching 10 meters - recharge the massive aquifers that supply Brazilian cities with water; the preservation of the cerrado is directly linked to Brazil's water security for millions of people