June 7, 2022

10:06

Bruno Pacheco – Cenarium Magazine

MANAUS – The biggest symbol of Manaus F.C. and originated the team’s nickname, the image of the harpy eagle, in profiles on social networks, was removed from the shield of the club last week, leaving curious and dissatisfied fans, mainly because of the lack of explanation about the change. The episode, however, was part of a marketing action of the direction to warn about the threat of extinction of the bird, along with other species of fauna and flora of the Amazon.

The mobilization that started on June 1st and was clarified this Sunday, 5th, on the World Environment Day, also seeks to alert about the disappearance of the ways of life of the local people in the Amazon. For the Marketing and Communication Director of Gavião do Norte, Thiago Martins, the action was audacious and the discussion about the subject gained attention.

“The Environment Day action was audacious, but it brought attention to the discussion, which for many is seen in a macro way. The disappearance of the harpy eagle is just one of the many losses that the fight for environmental preservation can suffer”, he highlighted.

According to Martins, with the relevance of Manaus F.C. in the northern context, it is important for the club to be a spokesperson for prominent agendas that give visibility to the region’s population. “We have been doing this with our uniforms – the forest team and the indigenous people’s team – besides working in solidarity with other brothers in the region, such as the native people and the riverside dwellers’ cause”, he emphasized.

Harpy eagle threatened

The harpy eagle, popularly known as harpy eagle (Harpia harpyja), is the largest bird of prey in Brazil and occupies the top of the food chain. The species can be up to 1 meter tall and have a wingspan of up to 2.2 meters from one wing tip to the other. When adult, the male reaches a weight of about 5.5 kg and the female 8 kg.

The predator, characteristic of the Amazon, feeds on mammals of medium and small size, including other birds, monkeys, and rodents. The deforestation of the forest, the hunting of the harpy eagle, and the trafficking of the species for illegal trade have made it endangered. Besides, the harpy eagle is slow to reproduce, producing only one chick every two or three years.

In Manaus, the Amazon Environmental Protection Institute (Inpa) has been studying the bird since 1997, when a harpy eagle nest was discovered in a forest reserve belonging to the Institute. The Harpy Eagle project seeks to protect the species and is part of the Harpy Eagle Conservation Program (PCGR).