The Take

The sounds of Mexico’s last rainforest

To celebrate World Rainforest Day, we look into Mexico’s fight to save their last rainforest.

The Lacandon Jungle is home to 3,400 plant species, over 44% of all Mexican birds, and 24% of all mammals in Mexico. [Manuel Rapalo / Al Jazeera] (Al Jazeera)

Scientists say that two-thirds of the biggest rainforest in Mexico, the Lancandon Jungle, has been lost. With only 10 percent of virgin territory to protect, environmental groups and Indigenous people are fighting to curb deforestation, illegal logging, and trade with protected species.

Scarlet macaws used to be found all over southern Mexico and in Central America, they are now a critically endangered species. The illegal pet trade is another massive contributor to the decline of biodiversity in the jungle. [Manuel Rapalo / Al Jazeera]

To help us celebrate World Rainforest Day, we talked to Al Jazeera’s correspondent in Mexico, Manuel Rapalo, about his excursion to the jungle and the protected species he met there.

In this episode:

Manuel Rapalo (@Manuel_Rapalo), Al Jazeera correspondent in Mexico

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