This month, federal police launched an operation to investigate a circovirus outbreak among Spix’s macaws in Bahia. The virus is deadly for birds and this case imposes a serious setback on the reintroduction program for the species, endemic to the Brazilian caatinga and one of the rarest in the world – considered extinct in the wild.
Those investigated by the PF could be responsible for the crimes of spreading a disease that could cause damage to wildlife, kill wild animals and obstruct environmental inspection. Creadouro Ararinha-Azul, responsible for the largest captivity of the species in the country, said the birds are under state protection and was calm about the investigation.
There is still no news of macaw deaths due to the circovirus. The outbreak became known in July, with confirmation from ICMBio, but the birds that were in the wild were not recaptured until November, after a court ruling. In 2025, the Leaf showed suspicions involving a German NGO that worked with Criadouro Ararinha-Azul and once owned 90% of all Spix’s macaws in the world.
The breakfast this Monday (8) tells what is happening with Spix’s macaws, addresses the risk of elimination of the species and discusses the future of this symbol of Brazil. The podcast interviews the journalist from Leaf Victor Lacombe, who has been investigating the subject for over a year.
The audio program is published on Spotify, a partner streaming service of Leaf in the initiative and which specializes in music, podcast and video. You can listen to the episode by clicking above. To access the app, simply register for free.
Café da Manhã appears from Monday to Friday, always at the start of the day. The episode is presented by journalists Gabriela Mayer and Gustavo Simon. Production is by Lucas Monteiro and sound editing by Raphael Concli.
About The Author
