an ambitious rewilding programme is now aiming to ensure the survival of Rio de Janeiro's ancient rainforest One minute I'm choked by fumes under a concrete overpass that's not something you feel in every city – especially one with more than six million inhabitants decimated by sugarcane and coffee plantations as well as logging by the European colonists that first stepped on Brazil's shores in the 16th Century the loss of Atlantic Forest over the next 200 years was nearly a death knell for the young settlement Rivers that quenched the city dried up and drought was imminent Nineteenth-century Emperor Peter II had a solution: bring back the forest farmers and city dwellers living on forest land were expropriated and enslaved Africans were ordered to plant more than 100,000 trees they didn't bring back many of the animal species that once thrived in the forest "Picture in your mind just for a second Rio without the forest, just the bare mountains and the seas – Rio would not be the wonderful city anymore," said Fernando Fernandez, a professor of ecology at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and co-founder of conservation organisation Project Refauna But the Tijuca forest isn't just eye candy – it's a critical temperature regulator and source of freshwater for Brazil's second-largest metropolis When you hike through Tijuca National Park, the forest looks like it's thriving. Trails leading to more than 30 waterfalls and climbs up iconic mountains like Pedra da Gávea and Pedra Bonita reveal lush flora with drooping vines, giant jackfruit splattered on the ground and cute capuchin monkeys picking apart bananas But Fernandez says the forest's tall trees are slowly dying and not being replaced Travellers can visit all three sectors of Tijuca National Park via public transport bike or taxi/Uber from Rio's South Zone Tijuca Forest: Hike to waterfalls, coffee plantation ruins climb the city's highest point (Tijuca Peak) and try to spot Project Refauna's introduced species Pedra Bonita and Pedra da Gávea: Climb two of Rio's most popular mountains – Pedra Bonita and Pedra da Gávea – for views over the city Corcovado Mountain: See the world wonder, Cristo Redentor, on a hike from 19th-Century palace Parque Lage the forest can't capture as much carbon – a necessity for slowing down climate change – and will become "a disturbed forest that is a mess of trees of every size" tall trees should also intertwine overhead providing a healthy forest canopy – but they currently aren't "What tells you the Atlantic Forest is mature is that if you are standing in the forest you can see another person 50 or 100m from you," he said The reason Tijuca's tall trees are struggling to spread is because the forest is empty of many of the seed-spreading animals that used to thrive there you don't have the trees," said Catharina Kreischer delicious fruit to attract hungry animals who then digest the seeds and defecate them out elsewhere spreading the plant species across the forest But many of the seed-spreading animals disappeared from this particular part of the forest when it was cleared and have never returned That's why Project Refauna is bringing the fauna back to Tijuca – because a forest isn't just trees; it's also animals While other forest restoration projects around the world involve "rewilding" by reintroducing headline-driving predators like wolves or bears "Most people that think about introducing species think about endangered species," said Fernandez we purposely work with non-endangered species [that relocated elsewhere when the forest was cleared]." Tijuca Forest used to be home to 33 large- and medium-sized species Project Refauna could hypothetically reintroduce some of these animals but many require a much larger area to hunt or are simply too dangerous to be dropped into the middle of a city it's reintroducing species that are endemic to the forest easy to work with and thrive elsewhere in Brazil In 2009, Project Refauna reintroduced red-rumped agoutis a cat-sized rodent that had been hunted to extinction in Tijuca Forest but was still crawling around elsewhere in the city I could see the project's impact during my visit After getting off the 301 bus at Praça Afonso Viseu which is located directly at one of the park's main entrances Kreischer and I walked into the park (entrance is free) and stopped alongside the main road to pick up a brown who rolled up her trouser leg to display an agouti tattoo on her ankle I see far fewer fruits and seeds rotting on the ground This is a good indication that the agoutis are establishing themselves and are fulfilling their role." We continued along earthen trails and past the gushing Cascatinha Taunay waterfall until we reached Titan a gigantic yellow-footed tortoise introduced to the park by Project Refauna in 2020 Titan had the look of bloody murder in his eyes and my heart pounded harder than I'd like to admit for such a slow-moving threat Titan's violent nature meant that he had to be separated from his fellow tortoises ending his bloodline – but that wasn't the only bad news • The Amazonian town putting world cities to shame • Explore the Ottoman past on Istanbul's car-free islands • Why India's wildly remote islands are trending tortoises are terrific seed dispersers since they eat almost anything and their slow digestive tracts allow them to defecate far from the parent plant tortoises haven't been able to thrive in Tijuca Forest – of the 56 tortoises introduced as many have been killed by city dogs that invade the park Kreischer walked me to Project Refauna's headquarters where I met with a couple of researchers who were installing camera traps to try and catch domestic dogs who dig up and eat the tortoise eggs Project Refauna also had disappointing results with another one of its reintroduced species: howler monkeys The organisation brought back the primates in 2015 – a century after they had vanished from the park The rest had to be removed because they were interacting with park visitors When asked whether the project was going well Fernandez leaned in and responded honestly The travel emissions it took to report this story were 0.00 metric tons of CO2e. Find out more about how we calculated this figure here The loss of the howler monkeys and tortoises were major setbacks and there have been issues securing enough funding to keep the organisation going But Fernandez is far from ready to give up Project Refauna reintroduced a fresh group of vaccinatedhowler monkeys in January and is forging ahead with its next species: the blue and yellow macaw The plan is to continue working up the food chain all the way to ocelots (a medium-sized spotted wild cat) the largest predator that once lived here before Rio became the city it is today and that could theoretically survive in a forest of this size again "This is a project for decades," said Fernandez both Fernandez and Kreischer believe there's another way to help: by visiting the park soaking in its views and learning about its flora and fauna remind humans that this forest isn't just for Rio's recreation it's vital for the city's survival the more protected the forest will be," said Fernandez CORRECTION: A previous version of this story incorrectly listed that some of the park's howler monkeys died of yellow fever Green Getaways is a BBC Travel series that helps travellers experience a greener cleaner approach to getting out and seeing the world If you liked this story, sign up for The Essential List newsletter –a handpicked selection of features For more Travel stories from the BBC, follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram. 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'Magic' rare otter sighting in garden pondIt was spotted by wildlife-lover Kerry Irwin-Hall who is no stranger to seeing animals in her garden. ${data.results == 'Teams will be announced at the toss' This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has welcomed its latest Boeing 777-300 which flew in from Seattle to Schiphol last Saturday KLM traditionally names this aircraft type after world heritage sites and nature reserves with past examples including Iguazu Falls and Mount Kilimanjaro has been named “Tijuca National Park” This national park is located in the city of Rio de Janeiro This new Boeing is the first 777-300ER to be fitted with the new economy and business class configuration and to sport the new KLM livery will also be fitted with the new configuration and livery This will take the B777 fleet up to 25 aircraft SEARCHThe global authority in superyachting Tijuca is a 26.52 m Motor Yacht, built in Italy by Benetti and delivered in 1976. She is one of 4 26S models. Her top speed is 13.5 kn and she boasts a maximum range of 1000.0 nm when navigating at cruising speed, with power coming from two General Motors diesel engines. She can accommodate up to 8 guests in 5 staterooms, with 5 crew members waiting on their every need. She has a gross tonnage of 123.0 GT and a 6.0 m beam. She was designed by Benetti, who also completed the naval architecture. Benetti has designed 98 yachts and created the naval architecture for 394 yachts for yachts above 24 metres. Tijuca is one of 6024 motor yachts in the 24-30m size range, and, compared to similarly sized motor yachts, her volume is 9.74 GT above the average. Tijuca is registered under the Gibraltar flag (along with a total of other 62 yachts) SubscribeSign up to our newslettersSign up to BOAT International email newsletters to get the latest superyacht news, business analysis, exclusive event invitations, and more. Boat International Media Ltd © 2008 - 2025. Content presented under the "BOAT Presents" logo is an advertising feature and Boat International Limited has been paid to include this content. Vitor Marigo / Aurora Photos / Getty Images On Sunday, Jan. 11, the Wallenius Wilhelmsen M/V Tijuca made its maiden call at the Port of Tacoma. With a total length of just over 760 ft and a capacity of 7,500 autos, the Tijuca is among the largest in the Wallenius Wilhelmsen fleet. The vessel was delivered to Wallenius Wilhelmsen from the Daewoo Shipyard in South Korea on Dec. 19, 2008. It took on cargo in Japan before making its maiden voyage across the Pacific to its first North American discharge in Tacoma (assorted construction machinery and other breakbulk cargoes). On April 30, Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ), together with several original co-sponsors, reintroduced the SHIPS for America Act in the U.S. Louis Dreyfus Armateurs, a 170-year-old French family-owned company operating across a broad swath of maritime and offshore energy… The first European built CO2 carrier, dedicated for work at the Greensand carbon capture and storage (CCS) project, will… The Mediterranean Sea Emission Control Area (ECA) for sulphur oxides enters into effect on 1 May.This will make the Mediterranean… YACHT SIGNSAt Yacht Signs, we excel in creating stunning illuminated yacht names and logos, durable stainless steel yacht lettering, and cutting-edge LED and fiber optic solutions. Maritime Reporter E-News is the maritime industry's largest circulation and most authoritative ENews Service, delivered to your Email five times per week Brazil has grown in popularity with people drawn to its long surfing hot spots and many shopping malls and stores This bistro provides a charming setting of 1920s-themed French decoration and music that take diners back in time The most famous dish on this menu is the Grand Gateau This monster dessert consists of a hot chocolate pudding with a chocolate ice cream wedged inside covered in chocolate cream Not one for the waistline but certainly a treat for the eyes and the tastebuds © Edsel Little/Flickr A meat lover’s dream, this is the perfect place to try a typical Brazilian-style barbecue. For a fixed price, Fogo de Chão offers an all-you-can-eat meat selection and an extensive salad bar Don’t fill up on the salad though as the meat is too delicious to miss Waiters come to the table with skewers of various types of meat before carving off the pieces that you want A simple system of red and green cards on the tables show when you want to be served and when you prefer to be left in peace © Bolte911/WikiCommons Thanks to a large Italian influence, Brazil has many fantastic pizzerias. Awarding-winning Braz is one of them The elegant and rustic decoration is beautiful and provides a cozy and warm environment Pizzas are traditionally cooked on a wood fire They are made with authentic and seasonal ingredients such as real Italian mozzarella and parma ham A popular Italian specialty here is the hearty calabresa bread as a starter washed down with wine from the extensive wine menu Sign up to our newsletter to save up to $800 on our unique trips See privacy policy © amanderson2/Flickr Cervantes offers a more casual dining experience and is a traditional Brazilian bar-restaurant with late opening hours and a lively atmosphere and it is the perfect place to go for an after-party bite to eat Cervantes is famous for its mammoth sandwiches that are just as delicious as they are satisfying The sandwiches are typically a small French baguette generously filled with a meat of choice The most popular meats are steak or pernil (pork) import PrebidBidService from "/v1/js/PrebidBidService.js"; import AmazonBidService from "/v1/js/AmazonBidService.js"; window.addEventListener('intersecting',async (e) => { const element = document.querySelector('[data-id="in_article_3"]'); const slot = element.getAttribute('id'); if(e.detail.slotName !== slot) { return; } let promises = []; if(window.canRunPrebid) { const prebidService = new PrebidBidService(); promises.push(prebidService.requestPrebidBids(null [slot])); } if(window.canRunAmazon) { const amazonService = new AmazonBidService(); promises.push(amazonService.fetchBids(null [slot])); } if(promises?.length) { await Promise.all(promises).then(() => { googletag.pubads().refresh([window.addSlot[slot]]); }); } else { googletag.pubads().refresh([window.addSlot[slot]]); } }); Fratelli Restaurant Sarah is a British freelance journalist and writer based in Rio de Janeiro Her favourite travel experiences so far include swimming with whale sharks in Mexico trekking through Rio's urban forest and enjoying the city life in Madrid Guides & Tips The Best Hiking Trails in Ilha Grande Guides & Tips The Most Picturesque Spots in Sao Paulo See & Do The Best Hidden Gems In Rio de Janeiro Only Locals Know About See & Do The Top 10 Things to Do in Curitiba See & Do The 8 Best Things To Do In Barra Da Tijuca See & Do The 15 Best Destinations to Visit in Brazil Guides & Tips The Best Non-European Destinations to Escape to This Spring See & Do A One-Week Rio de Janeiro Itinerary Guides & Tips A Complete Guide To Pão De Açúcar (Sugarloaf Mountain) See & Do 15 Stunning Natural Wonders in South America That Will Take Your Breath Away See & Do 15 Must-Visit Attractions in Ouro Preto See & Do The Best Amazon Locations for Seeing Wildlife US: +1 (678) 967 4965 | UK: +44 (0)1630 35000 tripssupport@theculturetrip.com © Copyright 2025 The Culture Trip Ltd The ad-free version is ready for purchase on iOS mobile app today we couldn't find that page";var n=e.querySelector("h2");return n&&n.remove(),{staticContent:e,title:t}},d=function(e){var t=document.createElement("button");return t.innerText=e,t.classList.add("error-page-button"),t},f=function(e){var t=document.createElement("div");t.id="recirculation-404",t.classList.add("brand-hint-bg");var n="\n \n \n \n \n \n '.concat(e,' Tick here if you would like us to send you the author’s response