Argentinian Field Site Devastated by Fire

Roughly half of the howler monkeys in the research preserve have died or remain unaccounted for. Scientists had been studying them for more than 30 years.

Written byAmanda Heidt

| 4 min read

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Argentina, wildfire, climate change, field research, fire, primates, primatology, ecology, environment

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ABOVE: Two fires in Argentina burned 90 percent of the San Cayetano Provincial Park, which houses a field station that has carried out long-term monitoring of local primates for decades.
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Editor’s note: The following story contains graphic images of animals that died in the fires.

Amid a record year for fires across South America, two blazes have spiraled out of control in Argentina, scorching a state park in the northeastern province of Corrientes. Within the park, an ecological field station that has carried out long-term primate research for decades narrowly escaped the flames, but roughly half of the park’s resident howler monkeys have likely died.

San Cayetano Provincial Park was only established in 2015, but the Estación Biológica Corrientes (EBCo)—a field station managed by the country’s National Council for Scientific and Technical Research—first opened in 1975. While it has previously changed hands and names, since 2001 the station has ...

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Meet the Author

Amanda Heidt
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Amanda first began dabbling in scicom as a master’s student studying marine science at Moss Landing Marine Labs, where she edited the student blog and interned at a local NPR station. She enjoyed that process of demystifying science so much that after receiving her degree in 2019, she went straight into a second master’s program in science communication at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Formerly an intern at The Scientist, Amanda joined the team as a staff reporter and editor in 2021 and oversaw the publication’s internship program, assigned and edited the Foundations, Scientist to Watch, and Short Lit columns, and contributed original reporting across the publication. Amanda’s stories often focus on issues of equity and representation in academia, and she brings this same commitment to DEI to the Science Writers Association of the Rocky Mountains and to the board of the National Association of Science Writers, which she has served on since 2022. She is currently based in the outdoor playground that is Moab, Utah. Read more of her work at www.amandaheidt.com.
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