How Rio’s Urban Forest Is Coming Back to Life, One Species at a Time
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📰 The quick summary: Conservationists in Rio de Janeiro are successfully reintroducing lost wildlife species into Tijuca National Park, helping restore the ecological functions of one of the world’s largest urban forests.
📈 One key stat: Nine out of 10 plant species in the Atlantic Forest depend on animals to disperse their seeds, making the return of fauna essential to the forest’s long-term survival.
💬 One key quote: “Amid so many biodiversity losses, knowing that somewhere we are rebuilding instead of destroying is very rewarding,” said Alexandra Pires, scientific director of Refauna.
1️⃣ The big picture: Tijuca National Park, located on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro, was once a lush but ecologically hollow forest, stripped of the animals needed to keep it healthy through seed dispersal. A rewilding program led by Refauna, with support from Brazil’s federal conservation agency, has been systematically reintroducing species that vanished from the area decades or even centuries ago. Agoutis, howler monkeys, yellow-footed tortoises, and most recently blue-and-yellow macaws have all made their return to the park. The effort builds on a restoration process that began in the 1860s under Emperor Pedro II, who ordered the replanting of native Atlantic Forest vegetation after coffee farming had devastated the hills. Now, more than 150 years later, scientists are finally adding back the wildlife that makes the forest truly function.
2️⃣ Why is this good news: Reintroduced channel-billed toucans, first released back in 1970, have already proven that rewilding works: a 2026 study confirmed they interact with at least 76% of the plants from their original diet, including threatened species, showing that animals can reclaim their ecological roles even after long absences. Red-rumped agoutis are thriving, with more than 60 individuals now living in the park, including 4th-generation descendants of the original group released in 2009. Restoring a more balanced forest in Tijuca will increase carbon absorption and positively influence Rio’s climate and rainfall patterns, directly benefiting the more than 6 million people living in the city. Blue-and-yellow macaws, absent from Rio for 200 years, are now flying over the city again, a sign that urban forests can still support iconic and ecologically vital wildlife. Each species reintroduced brings the forest closer to full ecological function, creating a self-sustaining system that protects biodiversity for generations to come.
3️⃣ What’s next: The three recaptured blue-and-yellow macaws are undergoing new human-aversion training and are expected to be released again in the coming months, this time with location trackers and alongside six additional macaws. Refauna plans to expand reintroductions up the food chain, eventually targeting omnivores and carnivores such as tayras and wildcats like ocelots and southern tiger cats. The team is also running community awareness campaigns with local universities and federal agencies to build public support and engagement around the rewilding effort.
Read the full story here: Mongabay – Rewilding Rio: Conservationists restock an ’empty forest,’ one species at a time
