Going Undercover with RENCTAS in Brazil

Earth Report goes undercover in Brazil to expose the animal trafficking business that pays no heed whatsoever to concepts of sustainability.

Going Undercover with RENCTAS in Brazil Correspondent: To fully understand who is behind this business we’re going undercover in the city of Salvador where the RENCTAS agent shall call Ricardo his identity cannot be revealed. Ricardo (RENCTAS Undercover Agent): This is a very journey because we need to operate hand in hand with the traffickers with criminals. The only one key here is to make money. I will try and show you the whole trafficking process from when the animals are first captured to how they are then transported. How they are sold along the country’s main highways and how they arrive to our major cities from where they’re transported on to Europe. Correspondent: We head to the Mercado –wereslaves were originally auctioned off wealthy plantation lands today it is a method for tourists we come to se the masters of the craft performed in slavery. But this is also the base for animal dealers who pry on tourists who step off ships and boats moored in the nearby docks. Most discovered animals are destined for foreign electors. It is here that Ricardo has met and arranged our first meeting with the traffickers. That night they come to our hotel to meet who they think is a European. We use a hidden camera to film the meeting. Secret filming We have a Polish cargo ship that can be used to transport the animals for you they buy a lot of animals off us I guarantee that this week you will not be disappointed with what we can get. I can get whatever you want monkey’s turtles, parrots, macaws, whatever. Correspondent: The following morning. We meet again. I have already got some stock in for you, but I need more time. I need to travel. But I need cash I do not have any cash. Do you understand? Correspondent: They have brought us a box of baby river turtles as proof of what they can get for us if we insist we need to see more animals before any money changes stands. They agee. Early the next day we are driven to a house deep inside one of the cities biggest slums. We’re hoping that this is where we will find or see what is for sale. The Jaruna parrot are brought 2000 dollars here 60, a marmoset an endangered species abroad 2-1/2 thousand dollars, the karakara eagle or also endangered 1500 dollars, The crested eagle numbers are falling fast it will fetch 5,000. This box alone contains 250 spotted river turtles. They to are on the endangered list. Value to a collector abroad 1,000 each, we arranged to pay the dealers the following morning at dawn we escape visit. Ricardo: We’re living Salvador and we’re wait at the estate called milagres. We’re going to drive past people selling animals along the road side. They sell to both car and truck drivers. In turn take the animals to the south of the country to see Sao Pablo and really where they would sell them on a profit. Correspondent: Along the roadside children and adults hold out their hands to us selling everything from baby turtles to macaws. The town of Milagres is typical of this region. Regular drought means there is little farming here. Poverty is wide spread. The highway that runs through Milagres the life bird of the town. We went to meet some of these dealers I decide that this time will admit to being journalists. Ricardo tried to convince the sellers to talk to us. Eventually they group agreed to take us to where they collect nesting birds. They insist on keeping their identities hidden from the cameras. They have found a parakeets nest they admit to us they will sell these as baby parrots to unknowing drivers a baby parakeet is worth only 2 dollars but they can charge 60 dollars or more for a baby parakeet. Paocher: We know that his is illegal but it is the only way we can make a living. It is better than buying a gun and going out there shooting and robbing people. If you do that you end up dead so its better to do this. Correspondent: But are you worried that this will land to and will be able tomake a living like this. Paocher: It wont’ because we only take the babies and will come every year because we don’t have the parents so every year—