Urban taste for bushmeat poses threat to Amazonian wildlife

Research has uncovered alarming evidence of an underreported wild-meat crisis in the heart of Amazonia. Scientists from Lancaster University and Brazil ed households in two Brazilian 'prefrontier' cities - cities which are surrounded by more than 90 per cent of their original forest cover. They found virtually all urban households in these cities (Borba and Novo Aripuanã) consumed wildlife for food, including fish (99%), bushmeat (mammals and birds; 79%), turtles and tortoises (48%) and caimans (28%). Some of the wildlife species being eaten are classed as endangered, vulnerable and threatened. The study, published online in the journal Conservation Letters ' Wildlife harvest and consumption in Amazonia's urbanized wilderness' , indicates that the previous assumption that there is low urban demand for wildlife as food, is incorrect. Dr Luke Parry said: "The rapid urbanization of forested wilderness in the Amazon could threaten biodiversity if expanding cities drive demand for wildlife as food. There are around 73 cities such as those we studied, occupying around 1.86 million square km2 of forest.