On the sign that welcomes you to Serra do Tepequém, the acute accent of the word is represented by a diamond. The precious stone attracted Brazilians from various parts of the country and even foreigners interested in mineral exploration in the region. The activity left marks on the landscape and affected the habitats of wild animals. But an area of forest remained preserved and today cameras record tapirs, tayra and deer roaming freely through the forest.
Located in the municipality of Amajari, north of Roraima, around 210 km from Boa Vista, the mountain grew around diamond and gold mining, starting in 1930. Decades later, the scenery that previously aroused the interest of those looking for precious stones began to attract visitors to its waterfalls, trails and natural landscapes.
In the forest area that remained preserved, there is the Private Natural Heritage Reserve (RPPN) Sesc Tepequém. There, the Social Service of Commerce (Sesc) Roraima develops a monitoring program for Amazonian fauna.
So far, five hidden cameras, also called camera traps, have recorded at least seven different species in the monitored area. Among them, a tapir that appears taking a bath with its baby, wild deer strolling and tairas circulating through the forest.
g1 followed the installation of new equipment and visited the points chosen to record the daily lives of animals in the forest.
After the first records, the team has a new goal: to obtain images of a jaguar.
"Our goal now is to record a jaguar. At this time of year, they tend to circulate more because of the drought. There are also reports that a jaguar with cubs was seen in the region. So, we would really like our cameras to be able to record this animal", says biologist and technical analyst for Environmental Education at Sesc, Jadna Alves, responsible for the project.
The RPPN Sesc Tepequém has 54.6 hectares protected by Sesc Roraima since 2001. At the site, biologist Jadna proposed the installation of automatic cameras to identify the species that live in the area and create a database.
The area is in a lower part of the mountain range and was not deforested at the time of mining.
"I often say that this Sesc region works as a refuge for these animals. There was all that diamond exploration up there, in the village of Paiva and in Cabo Sobral. So, the forest remained preserved and mature. The animals needed to escape somewhere and came here", he explains.
Before installing the equipment, known as camera traps, at strategic points in the reserve, the team had already identified signs of the presence of animals in the forest. Footprints, characteristic smells and broken branches indicated the passage of species, including larger ones.
The idea of having a database is to gather information that can finance scientific research, environmental education actions and conservation strategies.
In August this year, five cameras were installed at different points in the reserve. At the end of October, the team installed another three. Two in the forest, and another in a stream, where a tapir was recorded taking a bath with its baby.
For the biologist, the scene was a surprise, as the expectation was to find the animal, but not necessarily with its offspring.
"They probably came to drink water and decided to cool off. They are all very sweet. I love all animals and I am happy to see any one, even a different species. The deer was also a surprise, because it appeared in a very close location. I imagined finding it in a more remote region", he says.
The cameras also caught agoutis, catitus, anteaters and jacamins. The work is still in its initial phase and seeks to identify the times of greatest activity and the places most frequented by animals.
"On Wednesday mornings, we set aside time to walk the trails, open paths and record the coordinates of the locations where the next camera traps will be installed", says Jadna.
The project has been approved by mountain residents. They believe that the records help tell the new story of a place that had to reinvent itself after decades of mineral exploration. The change also transformed the way of thinking and lifestyle of those who live in the region.
One of them is the Sesc recreation monitor and resident born in Tepequém, Raimundo Colares, 54 years old. He describes a close coexistence with wild animals.
"In here, we have contact with animals and are able to coexist with nature. The animals are so comfortable that coexistence with them happens naturally. There is no constant threat to the animals. It is no surprise to find a jaguar, monkeys or tortoises here", he says.
The equipment also works at night and records images in black and white, which makes it possible to observe species that are nocturnal.
Physics professor Sidney Veras, 60 years old, was born in Tepequém and has followed the changes in the mountain over the years. He studied abroad and returned to the village at the age of 20 to dedicate himself to mining. He recalls that "Tepequém was the largest open-pit diamond mine in Brazil."
"In fact, we became a legal mining reserve. Tepequém was a family mine, it had an entire structure, a school and a police station, where conflicts were resolved. It was a reserve", he reports.
According to the master in History and professor at the Federal Institute of Roraima (IFRR), Victor Mittioni, the first records of diamond extraction in the region occurred between the end of 1936 and the beginning of 1937.
According to Mittioni, the activity boosted the village's growth. Between 1941 and 1943, the region had around a thousand inhabitants, of which 400 were miners. The largest population record occurred in 1982, when approximately 3 thousand people lived in the mountains.
Initially manual, using shovels, picks and sieves, exploration reached its peak in the 1940s. In 1946, according to the historian, mining was responsible for more than 70% of exports from the then Federal Territory of Rio Branco, currently the state of Roraima.
In the 1950s, Belgians Paul and Joseph Hellings, father and son, bought a mineral exploration company in the mountains. In the family's photograph archive, to which g1 had access, there are records of mining work in an area now known as Cachoeira do Funil.
Records indicate that the Belgians had conflicts with miners and that Paul was shot dead. A report published in a Belgian newspaper on August 26, 1956 reported the death and referred to the mountain's ores as "the bloody diamonds of Tepequém". The text also highlighted that the young man had bought the "Eldorado in Brazil".
"The Belgians forced the miners to sell their production exclusively to the company and to buy from their shop, paying in stamped 'vouchers', controlling all the circulating capital. The situation of ill-treatment culminated in 1956, with a miners' revolt and the murder of the company owner's son, who fled leaving many debts", explained Mittioni.
The 1980s marked the peak of the search for gold in Roraima. At the end of the period, however, activity began to decline. According to Mittioni, among the reasons were the high cost of living in the mines, the difficulty of access and the distance from supply centers.
The historian also cites international pressure due to reports of violence against indigenous peoples, conflicts in border areas with Venezuela and federal government operations.
In Tepequém, the emptying of the village intensified in the following years. The population went from 1,800 inhabitants in 1991 to 284 in 1995, a reduction of approximately 84%, according to Mittioni.
According to Professor Sidney, mineral exploration had already removed animals from the region. He says that after decades, the presence of some species was once again noticed by residents. One example is the tapir, which gives its name to an area known as Enseada da Anta.
"Before, you would walk there all day and not even find footprints. Today, we can already see traces of the tapir's presence, including young ones, through images captured by cameras. Recently, we also managed to obtain records of deer and paca", he reports.
The resident adds that the paca, previously highly sought after by hunters and miners, has also been seen more frequently. For Sidney, these records indicate a change in the presence of fauna in the region: 'Today, we see that these animals are returning'.
The environmental education and recreation activities offered by Sesc are free and open to the public, including those who are not staying on site. Adventure options, such as tree climbing and zip lining, in addition to spa services, are paid. Visitors can participate in these experiences for a fee, without having to book accommodation.
