With a demonstration of 500,000 ants, environmentalists from the German branch of the World Wild Fund for Nature (WWF) and the Cologne Zoo, have called for more protection for the Amazon rainforest.
The insects carried signs made of leaves with various slogans such as “Save the Amazon,” “Our homeland,” “Say no to saws,” and “Help, Merkel,” referring to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is embarking on a trip to Brazil.
Ants protest with a slogan reading ¨Help!¨
The unusual protests were designed to draw Merkel’s attention to the deforestation of the Amazon, often called the “lungs of the planet,” before her meeting with Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff on Thursday.
The Brazilian government says it hopes Merkel's visit will help Brazil strengthen economic relations with Germany and Europe and open more markets in the region.
Meanwhile, the WWF has said that the economic reform plans in Brazil threaten Amazon rainforest protection. The majority of the Amazon is contained within the South American country, with 60 percent of the rainforest located in its territory.
"The German government should use this meeting to redouble collective efforts at protecting the Amazon tropical forest," said Christoph Heinrich, a board member of WWF. The organization has also warned that the combination of climate change and deforestation increases the drying effect of dead trees that fuels forest fires.
The talks will cover cooperation in technology, science, development, trade, finance and education, as well as environmental protection.