Jaguars don’t roam the prairies and Hyacinth Macaws don’t perch in our oak trees, but today on Talk of Iowa we learn about the wild creatures of Brazil with wildlife biologist, Jim Pease.
Iowa used to be a very, very diverse place. - Jim Pease
Big cats, small primates, colorful birds, and rodents of unusual size. We also find out why the biodiversity of the Amazon matters here in Iowa.
"While we still celebrate the wildlife that we have here in Iowa, I think we need to remember how diverse it once was," says Pease. "Visiting places that are these 'mega-diversity' places is important for a number of reasons."
"We give Brazil a reason to save them...it gives them some income [tourism]. The Amazon rainforest is the lungs [sic] of the Earth; and these wild areas, perhaps, will not be wild forever...We can help keep them that way."