Brazilian ecologists restore forest and reintroduce tapirs to rio de Janeiro

Nicholas and Raquel Lock transformed their farm into the Guapiasu ecological reserve in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to restore a destroyed ecosystem.

The family began this work in 2001 after decades of livestock farming had damaged the local forests. They planted native trees, created forest corridors, and restored wetlands by building earthen dams and altering stream paths to create lagoons. By 2025, the family had planted approximately 840,000 trees across 607 hectares.

These efforts allowed capybaras, broad-snouted caimans, and various water birds to return to the area. The project also successfully reintroduced South American tapirs, which had been absent from the state since 1914 due to highways and farmland. The ecologists released the first three tapirs in 2017 and monitored them with radio collars and camera traps. The animals adapted to the environment and began reproducing in the wild.

Researchers currently count 11 adults and three offspring living in the reserve, with a total population of 25 individuals across nearby areas.