Wildlife

Ecuador Makes 'Debt for Nature' swap to Protect the Galapagos

Ecuador has converted $1.6 billion (€1.5 billion) of debt into a loan which will free up millions for conservation in the Galápagos Islands.

Nearly 1,000km off the coast of Ecuador, many of the species seen on the Galápagos Islands - like giant tortoises and marine iguanas - can be found nowhere else on Earth. After visiting the archipelago in 1835, British naturalist Charles Darwin developed his theory of evolution.

The deal, announced on Tuesday 9 May, is the largest of its kind ever made. It is known as a ‘debt for nature’ swap. Typically, debt for nature swaps are arranged to help governments fund conservation. They involve reducing debt alongside commitments to put money towards the protection of nature. Ecuador plans to start handing out conservation funding starting in September this year. The money will be used to combat climate change and overfishing which put pressure on the Galápagos ecosystem.

Piranhas Attack Tourists - Brazil

A school of piranhas attacked holiday makers playing in a stream in a Brazilian resort on May 1, leaving at least eight people injured. The fish tore at the bathers' legs and feet with their razor-sharp teeth, driving them out of the water and onto a tourist beach in Tarumã-Açu, a region northeast of Manaus, the capital city of the state of Amazonas.

Experts think the biting frenzy was a case of "mistaken identity" and that the piranhas were actually after the food that visitors at local restaurants sometimes throw into the river. Most piranhas are harmless and don't generally attack humans - the meat-eating species tend to scavenge rather than hunt living animals.