THE FORGOTTEN MASCOT
Phylum : Chordata
Class : Mammalia
Order : Cingulata
Family : Dasypodidae
Genus : Tolypeutes
Species : Tolypeutes tricinctus
The choice of the three-banded armadillo as World Cup mascot could have led to great conservation gains in Brazil. The mascot is named Fuleco which is supposed to be a portmanteau of the Brazilian words for football (futebol) and ecology (ecologia).Three-banded armadillos hail from the dry tropical forest lands (the Caatinga) of Brazil's northeast and they are classified as vulnerable to extinction by the IUCN. The species is famous for rolling up into a ball to defend itself. It was brave to choose such an obscure animal as an official mascot.But FIFA and Brazil failed to create a natural endowment to be proud of for decades to come.
Here is the first missed goal: the mascot species is not being properly identified and it's likely that the majority of the Brazilians who affect its habitat and survival are remaining ignorant of its plight. They are also unaware of the wonderful Brazilian law that allows private companies or individuals to create nature reserves and then 'donate' them to the country.Brazilian law allows owners to retain ownership of the land once it has been declared a Private Reserves to Protect Nature (RPPN), but the land from this point in time onwards can only be a nature reserve, protecting it from environmentally unfriendly exploitation.
Here is the opportunity for a fantastic marketing win that would also score a goal for conservation. FIFA could buy an area of land important for the conservation of Fuleco's species, and call it the 'FIFA World Cup Nature Reserve 2014' if they wished. Of course some endowment money would be needed to maintain the reserve but this would need to generate only a few tens of thousands of dollars per year. FIFA could leave behind lasting legacies in World Cup host countries and this could well be a new National Park to save species from extinction.This would really be a golden goal that everyone can cheer for.
Courtesy: http://www.theecologist.org
Link : http://en.mascot.fifa.com
Phylum : Chordata
Class : Mammalia
Order : Cingulata
Family : Dasypodidae
Genus : Tolypeutes
Species : Tolypeutes tricinctus
The choice of the three-banded armadillo as World Cup mascot could have led to great conservation gains in Brazil. The mascot is named Fuleco which is supposed to be a portmanteau of the Brazilian words for football (futebol) and ecology (ecologia).Three-banded armadillos hail from the dry tropical forest lands (the Caatinga) of Brazil's northeast and they are classified as vulnerable to extinction by the IUCN. The species is famous for rolling up into a ball to defend itself. It was brave to choose such an obscure animal as an official mascot.But FIFA and Brazil failed to create a natural endowment to be proud of for decades to come.
Here is the first missed goal: the mascot species is not being properly identified and it's likely that the majority of the Brazilians who affect its habitat and survival are remaining ignorant of its plight. They are also unaware of the wonderful Brazilian law that allows private companies or individuals to create nature reserves and then 'donate' them to the country.Brazilian law allows owners to retain ownership of the land once it has been declared a Private Reserves to Protect Nature (RPPN), but the land from this point in time onwards can only be a nature reserve, protecting it from environmentally unfriendly exploitation.
Here is the opportunity for a fantastic marketing win that would also score a goal for conservation. FIFA could buy an area of land important for the conservation of Fuleco's species, and call it the 'FIFA World Cup Nature Reserve 2014' if they wished. Of course some endowment money would be needed to maintain the reserve but this would need to generate only a few tens of thousands of dollars per year. FIFA could leave behind lasting legacies in World Cup host countries and this could well be a new National Park to save species from extinction.This would really be a golden goal that everyone can cheer for.
Courtesy: http://www.theecologist.org
Link : http://en.mascot.fifa.com
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