Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Dogs That Fought Snakes To Save Their Masters - Two Incredible Stories. Anaconda, Viper Attacks

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Unfortunately, the beauty of Brazil's diverse wildlife sometimes comes in conflict with man, especially when wild animals attack people. The video below details two stories of how dogs, man's best friend, have come to man's rescue when attacked by anacondas and vipers.



Monday, June 29, 2009

Dogs Saves 2 year old from Viper

Cachorro salva criança de bote de jararaca no Rio
Dog saves child from viper attack in Rio de Janeiro


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In August 2006, a German Shepherd/Rottweiller cross saved a 2 year old child from a viper-like snake attack in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The following is a translation of a newspaper article about the incident. The original article can be found at this site:
http://www.diarionews.com.br/exibenoticia.php?id=26827
The English translation of a phrase appears directly below the Brazilian Portuguese version. The English translation text is in blue.

A video clip of what a jararaca looks like is shown below the translation.

-------Main Article---------------
Três guardas do Grupamento de Defesa Ambiental (GDA) do Rio de Janeiro capturaram, por volta das 12h30 desta sexta-feira, uma jararaca de dois metros que se preparava para dar o bote em Miguel Almeida, 2 anos.
Three guards from the Environmental Defense Group (GDA) of Rio de Janeiro captured, at around 12:30pm on Friday, a viper(jararaca) of two meters in length that was about to lunge itself onto Miguel Almeida, who is 2 years old.


A criança brincava sozinha no quintal de casa, em Santa Tereza, e foi salva pelo cão de estimação Brutus, cruzamento de pastor alemão com rottweiler.
The child was playing alone in the backyard of the house, in Santa Tereza, and was saved by the family dog, Brutus, a cross between a German Shepherd and a Rottweiler.


Da janela da cozinha, a mãe, Flávia Pereira de Almeida, ouviu o cão grunir e o filho gritar.
From the kitchen window, his mother, Flávia Pereira Almeida, heard the dog gnarling and her son screaming.


Com outros dois filhos em casa, um com 12 anos e outro com 10, e sentindo-se incapaz de conter a cobra, Flávia acionou a equipe do GDA, com sede nas proximidades.
With two other children in the house, one 12 and the other 10, and feeling incapable of dealing with the snake, Flávia called the GDA, which has its headquarters in the neighborhood.


Ao chegarem, os guardas se depararam com o cão já agonizando e a cobra tentando dar o bote em Miguel.
The guards arrived at the juncture at which the dog was now in agony and the viper trying to lunge at Miguel.


Agindo rápido, os GMs conseguiram capturar a jararaca e salvar a criança. A equipe da Guarda Municipal tentou ainda reanimar o cão enquanto acionava o Corpo de Bombeiros.
Reacting quickly, the Municipal guards managed to capture the viper and save the child. The team from the Municipal Guard tried to resuscitate the dog while the team from the Fire Department were capturing the snake.


Os guardas também consolaram mãe e filho e se preocuparam em retirar a cobra do local, colocando o réptil em uma cesta e levando-o para a sede do grupamento.
The guards also calmed the mother and child and took it upon themselves to remove the snake from the locale, putting the reptile into a basket and taking it to the group's headquarters.


O cachorro recebeu uma injeção de soro anti-ofídico e foi lavado de volta para casa. A jararaca será levada ao Zoológico de Niterói.
The dog was given an anti-snake-venom serum injection and was returned to its home. The viper was taken to the Niterói Zoo.


Com 86 guardas por dia, o GDA atua no patrulhamento de mirantes, parques e Floresta da Tijuca, onde é responsável por controlar a presença de excursionistas, fazer o acompanhamento por trilhas e prestar orientações variadas.
Every day 86 guards of the GDA patrol tourist zones, parks and the Tijuca Forest, and their duties include controlling the presence of excursionists, providing accompaniment on cross-country trails, and handling miscellaneous issues.


Além de auxiliar a segurança de visitantes, do patrimônio e de inibir ações de vandalismo à natureza, o grupo reforça ações surpresas do Ibama contra caçadores.
Apart from providing security to visitors, protecting the natural heritage as well as inhibiting vandalism of nature, the group provides back up to the undercover operations of IBAMA against poachers.(NOTE: IBAMA is an acronym for the Brazilian Institute Of Environment And Renewable Natural Resources, written as Instituto Brasileiro do Meio Ambiente e dos Recursos Naturais Renováveis in Brazilian Portuguese)


Inúmeros materiais de caça foram apreendidos e mais de 100 acampamentos de caçadores já foram descobertos e destruídos. Em seis anos de atuação na Floresta da Tijuca, o GDA já capturou sete cobras, contando a de hoje, sendo quatro jararacas e três jibóias.
Numerous poached items have been unearthed and more than 100 poachers' camps have been discovered and destroyed. In six years of operation in the Tijuca Forest, the GDA has captured seven snakes, and taking into account the one caught today, includes four vipers and three boas.

-----------------End of translation--------

A video clip of what a jararaca looks like is shown below:




And here's another one.


Saturday, May 2, 2009

Pythons And Anacondas

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This article mainly deals with Anacondas from Brazil, but includes an entry on pythons because they both come from the same snake family-constrictors. They kill their prey by coiling their bodies round their victims and constricting their bodies to either crush them or make it impossible for the victim to breathe. When the prey dies, it is swallowed whole. However, pythons are mainly found in Asia and Africa, whereas Anacondas are native to South America.

In this first video, we see the crushing technique used by constrictors as a 25 foot long python fights with a tiger.

Python fights with tiger


After watcthing that video, you'll will be surprised that in many of the following videos, the Brazilians in the videos seem to be so casual in their approach towards the anacondas, which are generally heavier and more massive than pythons. Except for one video of a News report of an anaconda attacking a girl, and two videos of anacondas attacking pets, most videos appear to show a fascination on the part of the Brazilians towards the anacondas. People will be seen trying to prevent the anacondas escaping so that they can take pictures of themselves touching the anacondas. In one video the family pet dog walks up to the anaconda!


Construction Workers In The Amazon Find An Anaconda

In the above video, Brazilian construction workers laying gas pipes in the Amazon come across a 6-meter long anaconda. Rather than kill it, they first rope it by its neck, cowboy style, pull it out of the thicket, then take pictures of themselves holding it,with some construction workers every now and then giving the anaconda a 'friendly slap on the back'! Each time it tries to go flee, they hold it back by pulling its tail. At some point one of the construction workers says that the snake 'is now free to go'. But apparently the other construction workers have not had enough and pull it back by its tail. Did you notice that the lady construction worker, apparently called Maria, also wants her picture taken of her holding the anaconda?

Measuring the Length Of An Anaconda

In the video above, some Brazilians find an anaconda in some thickets. They seem to be fascinated enough not to let it escape nor kill it, but to try to measure it's length. With one man taking the video, two other men hold it by the tail, and a third man walks the length of the snake to try to estimate its length. The first estimate made is of about 6 meters. The person filming the video comments that for a snake of that length it has a small head, perhaps hinting that he thinks it's not an adult snake. Notice how casually, when the anaconda approaches the camera man, the other other men pull it by its tail(though the camera man can be heard in the background voicing his concern that perhaps the snake is going towards him.) The camera man then makes a second estimate of the length of the anaconda. Observe how when the camera man asks one of the men to stand close to the mid-section of the snake to make a size comparison for camera, the man casually steps on the mid section of the snake as if it were a friendly pet, drawing chuckles from the camera man.

Anaconda Kills The Family Cat

In the video above a lady arives on the scene to find people filming her cat being killed by an anaconda. The anaconda seems disturbed by all the noise and seems to be then seen escaping into a hole under the building. Someone makes the suggestion that the firemen should be called.

Brazil's own Steve Irwin!

Apparently Brazil does have it's very own Steve Irwin whose name is Richard! In this video he is seen jumping into a river to be as close as he can get to an anaconda. He comments that it's anybody's guess as to what the anaconda swallowed to have its mid-section the size it is. He then says that he's going to approach it as close as possible. He then directs the viewers to the head of the anaconda. He then says that he wants to do things as calmly as possible, but then later seems to change his mind and decide that he has to touch the anaconda, which he estimates to be between 6 and 7 meters in length. When the anaconda moves away from him, he follows it out into the deeper water, and then he swims out towards it! He then tells the audience that the anaconda is indeed a remarkable one, and that it is not common to see anacondas that size because man will not let them grow to that length and simply kills them.

Anaconda Stops Road Traffic

In the video above an anaconda is crossing a road, and stops the traffic as a result.

Anaconda Eats Another Anaconda
In the above video an anaconda regurgitates out another anaconda that it had swallowed. The vomiting is a technique that anacondas use to escape potential danger because when they have swallowed large animals, anacondas are not able to move rapidly. In this case, the people screaming around it probably scared it. It is not known why some anacondas kill other anacondas. This behavior is more commonly observed among female anacondas. It is speculated that since female anacondas do not eat during the several months of gestation, breeding female anacondas become opportunistic hunters to store as much food as possible. It is thus suspected that males that mated with the female become targets. Female anacondas are normally larger than male anacondas, making it easier for a female anaconda to kill the male it mated with. (Anacondas give birth to live babies rather than lay eggs.)

An 8 meter long Anaconda
In the video above, a man tells the News reporter how he was on the Pantanal(marshy land in the southern parts of Brazil) and saw an anaconda kill a capivara by coiling itself round the capivara and constricting. A capivara is the world's largest rodent. He then went back to the city to get a camera and call his friends to help him measure the length of the anaconda. When they got back to the scene, the anaconda had already swallowed the capivara, and was lying motionless in the water where it had swallowed the capivara, just as most anacondas do after swallowing large prey. He then got his friends to pull the anaconda out of the water so that he could film it better. Unbeknownst to them, the anaconda started regurgitating the capivara. He caught on film the last stages of the regurgitation process, just as the anaconda regurgitated out completely the previously swallowed capivara. Rather than attempt to attempt to restrain it further, maybe fearing for their security, they decided to let it swim back into the water. The anaconda was estimated to be about 8 meters in length(about 26.5 feet.)



Playing With A Baby Anaconda
In the video above some Brazilians come across a baby anaconda that had just killed and swallowed a small crocodile. On hearing the noise of the people, it regurgitates out the crocodile. Notice how it immediately rolls into a ball to protect its head. The head is the most delicate part of the anaconda, and animals such as jaguars that may successfully fight anacondas succeed because they avoid getting coiled by the anaconda, and then they bite the head. In the video above, the baby anaconda then attempts to flee. Someone makes the suggestion that they should kill it. The camera man and other people respond by asking why they should kill it. To film the anaconda longer, someone pulls it by the tail before it escapes and holds it back. He then lets it go. His action appears to have encouraged a lady to do the same. She pulls it by the tail, then lets it go a short while later, shouting excitedly about holding a snake.

Returning An Anaconda To The Wild

For most people, the only good snake is a dead snake. But in the video above, a farmer who had one of his calves killed by an anaconda chose to call environmental police rather than kill the animal. The video is a News report about the anaconda of about 5 meters in length that was captured one weekend on the farm. The anaconda had killed and swallowed a 6-month old calf that weighed over 150kg(330 pounds.) The video shows environmental police and firemen returning the anaconda to the wild. The police spokesman says that the anaconda came out of the forest looking for animals in residencial areas and attacked the calf. Over that weekend the anaconda had been kept in a control center for animal diseases. Many people wanted to see the unusual spectacle. The man interviewed, a driver, says that it's common to see such snakes lying around having swallowed something, one is never sure what - a capivara, a calf perhaps. The lady says that she has seen other anacondas, but never one that size. When it came to moving the anaconda, it required quite some effort from the police and firemen-it took seven men to lift the anaconda. The News comentator then says that the firemen took the animal 50 kilometers from where it was found so that it could be returned to nature without being a risk to people.


Playing With A 6-Meter Long Anaconda
You would have imagined, after watching the fight between the python and the tiger, that most people would be intimidated by anacondas. But not Brazilians! In the video above some Brazilians have come across an anaconda, and simply won't let it go. They pull it by the tail as it tries to go into the bushes. Notice the man using a stick to corral the head of the anaconda. Pythons and anacondas alike have a nasty, though non-poisonous, bite that is used to secure prey that they are trying to kill.

Anaconda Attacks Girl

This is the story you dreaded most to read. An anaconda attacking people. Unfortunately there have been documented attacks of anacondas on people, especially children. The video above is a News story about a girl who was attacked by an anaconda that was about 5 meters long. Fortunately for her, two young boys were close by an came to her rescue. In the interview the boys say that they were walking with the girl. The girl was walking on the edge of the road when suddenly the anaconda sprang out, then coiled round her leg and then round her. The boys killed it with a rod and hoe-like device. One of the boys says that there was no way they were going to let the girl become the anaconda's meal. He says that the other boy ran and got a rod, returned, and hacked the head off. The mother of the girl has four children. They have been living for four years in the house that is seen in the background, close to where the anaconda attacked the girl. She takes extra care when watching her children because anacondas are fairly common in the area. She says that there are many anacondas in the region, some even bigger than the one that was killed. When asked by the presenter if she fears for her children, the mother answers in the affirmative, and says that she does not like them to be out at night. For people who live in the area, apparently anacondas are common, but that particular anaconda seems to draw a lot of attention. The passer-by interviewed says that he has not seen anacondas of that size before, only in films.

Humor With Anacondas

It is said that that kind of jokes that people crack and others find funny reflect the type of society and culture that a people live in. For example, a farmer cracking a joke of how his bull chased him down and almost got him may not be funny to someone who has not lived on a farm. To enjoy the humor in the above video, if you have not already done so, first watch the very first video in this specific blog, the video of the python and tiger in an intense fight. In that video you will appreciate the crushing power of snakes in the constrictor family - anacondas and pythons - when they coil round their victims. Then come back and enjoy the humor of this video of a man saving the people who live on the banks of the river from a giant anaconda using just his bare hands!!!

An Anaconda On The Shores Of The Pantanal

In the above video, a family on an outing on the Pantanal comes across an anaconda that had swallowed a capivara. Their talking probably scares it, and it regurgitates out the capivara to allow it greater mobility to escape perceived threats. Did you notice the family pet dog walking up to the anaconda out of curiosity?

Fishermen Try To Save A Young Crocodile That Has Been Attacked By An Anaconda

In the video above, some fishermen come across a young crocodile that had been attacked by an anaconda. They decide to try to save it by hitting the anaconda with one of their oars. Unfortunately the young crocodile does not realize that the fishermen are trying to save it, and when the oar touches its mouth when they are trying to see it its still alive, it gives the oar a firm bite and does not let go.

Austin Stevens In Brazil

Austin Stevens (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austin_Stevens_Adventures) is a South African who resides in Namibia. Austin Stevens is a photographer of wildlife. In the above video he is seen jumping into the Amazon River to catch a 5 meter long anaconda. It is taken from the Brazilian Portuguese version of episode 7, "In Search Of The Giant Anaconda", of his TV series Austin Stevens Adventures.

Having Fun With An Anaconda

A man has come across a small anaconda and is making fun of his friends in what appears to be a club setting. He taunts them, asking them for permission to set it free at the table, and someone answers, "No! No!" to the amusement of the man holding the snake.

A 10 Meter Long Anaconda

The video above is a made from a set of stills put together into a video. The person who made the video writes that they are pictures of an anaconda that was found on a plantation farm in Seringa, in Central Brazil. The author of the video says that the anaconda was estimated to be 10 meters long(about 33 feet.) In the video, you actually see the men measuring the anaconda before putting it onto a truck to transport it away. So his claim may be very well true. The author says that since both the snake and people were potentially each a danger to the other, they decided to move the anaconda to River Itiquira.

An Anaconda Named Monica

Some fishermen in the city of Mercedes, in the state of Paraná, found an anaconda. The anaconda was about 6 meters in length and weighed approximately 150kg(about 330 pounds.) It was captured and taken to Parque Das Aves, a bird park. It was given the name Monica. The TV presenter says that the size astounded biologists and veterinarians alike. The park spokesman says that although stories of anacondas of that size are common, it is rare to get the kind of support that the public offered, especially in the state of Paraná. At the time of taking the video, the anaconda had been put into quarantine. The park representative says that the anaconda arrived in bad condition, it had coiled itself into a tight ball, and was dehydrated. For those reasons they decided to put it into quarantine for observation [and a period to allow it to adapt to its new surroundings.] The TV presenter then says that the anaconda received VIP treatment in a provisionary enclosure, under the observation of the park veterinarians, but the anaconda remained quiet and hidden, disappointing people who had wanted to see the park's newest attraction.

Motorists Find An Anaconda

Some motorists apparently stopped to take pictures of an anaconda that they saw when driving. You can hear the camera man panting as he runs to try to get a better view of the snake. We start to get a better view of the anaconda when it is in the gutter. The men hold a discussion on what kind of snake it could be. They debate on whether it's a boa constrictor or an anaconda, and decide that it is an anaconda. The men want to film it longer and suggest holding it by its tail to prevent it escaping. One of the men asks if the snake is poisonous! The other men answer that it's not. Then we see a man go down the gutter, touch the snake on its tail, then change his mind about pulling the snake and then run back, to the amusement of the other men.

Anaconda Being Dragged Escapes To Attack Its Tormentors

In the video above, an anaconda has been caught and is being dragged round with a rope round its neck as a show piece. At some point it apparently gets free, and turns on the people who were tormenting it. Even the camera person has to flee!!!

Anaconda Lazing In Water In Goias

The anaconda in the video above was filmed in Goias in water.

Anaconda In Urucuia

The anaconda in the video above was filmed in the city of Urucuia, to the north of the state of Minas Gerais. It was estimated to be about 6 meters in length.

Anaconda In São Paulo

Anacondas regurgitate out what they have swallowed when they feel threatened so that they can flee danger. The anaconda in the above video feels threatened, and regurgitates out a capivara. The following is a translation of what the narrator is saying.
"This young anaconda of 6 meters was found on River Jacaré(Crocodile River literally) in the region of Araraquara in the State of São Paulo. It was pulled out of the water with difficulty. On land it's not able to move because of the weight and volume of the main rings of its body. It feels threatened, and tries to defend itself. It wants to flee, but in order to do that it has to rid itself of the baggage that it is carrying. Note what nature allows this animal that is trying to escape to do." Then we see video of the anaconda regurgitating the capivara.

Men Save Hero Dog That Had Saved A Child From An Anaconda.

In the video above, an anaconda had attacked a child, but was saved by dogs that attacked the anaconda. One of the dogs ended up being coiled round by the anaconda and was in danger of being killed. The following is a translation of what the narrator is saying:
"The snake was attacking the boy and the dogs jumped in to save him. One of the dogs ended up taking the boys place. The barks and screams drew people who then tried to save the dog's life from the coils of death from the anaconda of 12 meters in length(about 39.6 feet.)A violent struggle ensued. Now it's to save the life of the dog that saved the life of the child. The dog, in pain and confused, ends up biting one of the men (the scream of the man is heard when he is bitten by the dog.)This type of snake kills by squeezing its victims.[then one of the people trying to save the dog says, 'perhaps we should get a knife and cut it in two.'] (the narrator continues)The hero dog was only saved from the clutch of the snake with the arrival of a fifth person." The dog is freed, and the anaconda tries to swim away, but the men restrain it, and one of them shoots it with what appears to be a pistol. "I got it!" he exclaims. The narrator continues,"The shot was perfect. The young boy came to look at the throat of this snake that can open to unbelievable widths, and can even swallow a calf.


Miscellaneous Videos
The following are a few miscellaneous videos of anacondas in Brazil.






Tribute To The Amazon, Home Of The Anacondas

This last video is included as a tribute to the Amazon, where most anacondas are found.

Credits
Credits for making the above videos should be directed to the owners of these websites:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFCcvZFP6D8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HHn7iO_-Us
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwUHrGQ2ttw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZoWow9rJRM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXvduNI6xz0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HR_JCGSmi34
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntXcynm1wuc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1yGt5h7qFs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vqyxqd6JCKQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cl1qhgg0fe0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_VGcnu5qt4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJ1Kh2CPun0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpyrBnDxc4s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yll8Bm3-LvU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rdq2_dJ6GM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddq23U1G9lY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRWodGAmYi8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98tVbobSn9E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfL7kECIpsQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTH6qXg_Qc4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lx2c5tmRKPk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ema3DwWJWnI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B25Huf745Po
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZINq6Jveeb0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XSNlhWCPJk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDkQxmZnmtE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGci9EGA1LM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6R084H_cJ8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5P5S217F0cw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hu0JBZVclOo


I hope you enjoyed reading this blog posting. Watch out for more blog posts.


Watch more videos from Brazil.
Visit "http://www.people-with-pets-are-happier.com/videos-from-brazil



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  • -help in fighting cancer?

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  • -help in improving sports performance and muscle gain?

  • -help in allowing ladies to maintain their natural skin beauty?

  • -liver damage due to excess alcohol consumption?


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Sunday, April 19, 2009

Mini Monkeys of Brazil

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There is concern among conservationists that Brazil may lose its monkeys as a result of unchecked logging, along with other factors. Monkeys, gibbons, apes, etc, all round the world and not just in Brazil, are considered highly intelligent creatures. This is depicted in the first video shot in Thailand, showing the intelligence a gibbon displays to protect it's territory from tigers.






Unfortunately though, there is no animal in the world that has been able to stand up to the intelligence of man. Uncontrolled deafforestation without conservation efforts may result in species of monkeys becoming extinct.

Credits for these later videos that follow should be forwarded to http://www.youtube.com/user/StorytellerMedia



Credits for the gibbon defending its territory from tigers should be sent to the owner of the site at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IALJXP8LaS4








































Watch more videos from Brazil.
Visit "http://www.people-with-pets-are-happier.com/videos-from-brazil



Are you looking for a natural product that may help you with the following:

  • -help in fighting cancer?

  • -help in dealing with the effects of viral infections/diseases caused by viruses?

  • -help against heart attack and stroke?

  • -help against the complications due to diabetes - nerve damage, poor circulation, etc?

  • -help in improving sports performance and muscle gain?

  • -help in allowing ladies to maintain their natural skin beauty?

  • -liver damage due to excess alcohol consumption?


Find out what Immunocal can do for you. Visit www.immunocalreview.com

Buffalos And Bulls As Friendly As People

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For most of you who already know that buffalos and bulls can be extremely dangerous animals, especially to humans, the videos that follow from Brazil will surprise you.

The first video shows that not only humans, but even the king of beasts, lions, can be harmed by buffalos. After that a series of videos shot in Brazil show how, amazingly, buffalos and bulls are gentle enough to be ridden by people in Brazil.

















(Oooppps!!!!)





Saturday, April 18, 2009

Hunting Dolphins

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In some parts of Brazil, there is a belief that dolphin eyes kept in ones pockets attract both money and women. This has resulted in illegal poaching of dolphins that is causing a major problem for environmental convservation efforts in Brazil.

In this blog we show two videos. The first shows the beauty and intelligence of dolphins as they play with bubbles. The second shows images from Brazil captured by an underground operative of an actual illegal fishing expedition.





I have translated and transcripted the conversation. The transcript appears immediately below:....
(NOTE: IBAMA is an acronym for the Brazilian Institute Of Environment And Renewable Natural Resources, written as Instituto Brasileiro do Meio Ambiente e dos Recursos Naturais Renováveis in Brazilian Portuguese)

(TV Commentator):In order to catch poachers in the act, a specialist contracted by IBAMA took part in an illegal fishing expedition for several days.
The images caught from the coast of Amapá show the annihilation of dozens of dolphins.
When caught in the meshes of the fishing nets, the dolphins are not able to surface to breathe, and drown.
When the nets are drawn in, there's the confirmation that the dolphins did not have a chance.
(Camera man): You are seeing yet one more there, yet one more there. With this there are now 42....
(Commentator):The crime against enviromental conservation was discovered by IBAMA researchers who study the environmental impact of fishing in the North Region. Just on this vessel alone on this fishing expedition, there were 83 dolphins caught. Still out at high sea, the dead dolphins are sold buyers on other boats. The dolphin flesh will serve as bait for catching shark. One of the people aboard the vessel jokes about the incidence...
(Camera man):I'm filming captain, I'm filming guy...Everyone will be imprisoned after this film is done(laughter)....
(Government Official):It's a crime, yes, the penalty is upto one year in prison. If the animal dies the penalty is 1 year and 4 months.
(Commentator):IBAMA says that it did not charge anyone because it was not able to identify anyone in the boats. Here in Pará the researchers know that illegal fishing has also been going on off the shores of the state. The researchers want to identify the locations where the dolphins are being caught as a step towards prohibiting the illegal fishing of dolphins.
(Researcher): We are going to create these locations of exclusion through discussion with the fishermen themselves. It's fundamental that the fishermen know that the region has its fauna, they don't fish there, so that we are able to carry out both fishing activities and conservation efforts for dolphins.
(Commentator):Some of the dolphins can be found at the Ver-o-Peso market in Belém. The teeth are used in costume jewellery, and the eyes are turned into small amulets sold illegally. This lady who does not want to show her face says that she sells up to 50 eyes a month.
(Lady):They put them in their wallets, their billfolds, in order to 'attract' money. And they also attract women. Generally the men buy the eyes to put in their pockets to attract women.
(Commentator):Popular beliefs that motivate the hunting of dolphins
(Researcher):We need to have intensive inspections on these fishing activities and we need to work from there in the environmental education for the society as a whole in order that this behavior and this culture change.
(...End of video...)


Credits for making the videos should be forwarded to
i)the owner of the site http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMCf7SNUb-Q for the beautiful video on the intelligence of dolphins
ii)the owner of the site http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIc9R_xhYNk for the video of the TV show highlighting the dolphin poaching problem in Brazil.


Increasing Profitability And Subtle Market Research- Business Tips From Brazil

Increasing Profitability And Subtle Market Research- Business Tips From Brazil

Click here for Potentially Useful Products, Services And Websites
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The original version in Brazilian Portuguese was written by Márcio Marcondes. His contact information is provided at the bottom of the article.


The Portuguese text is printed in blue, and the English translation of a phrase appears directly below.

AUMENTANDO A RENTABILIDADE ATRAVÉS DO MARKETING DE RELACIONAMENTO.
INCREASING PROFITABILITY THROUGH RELATIONSHIP MARKETING.
Através de ferramentas que suportam uma Estratégia de Marketing de Relacionamento, deverá ser criada uma Base de Informações Atualizada, Fidedigna e Padronizada, contendo todos os Contatos e Relacionamentos que ocorreram entre o Comércio e seus Clientes: Quem são, Quais são os Melhores, O que, Quando, Quanto e Onde Compram e Como Pagam.
Through the use of tools that support that support a strategy of Relationship Marketing, an information base that is current, accurate and standardized should be created, containing all contacts and the relationships that occur between the business and your clients: who they are, who are the best, what, when, how much and where they buy and how they pay.


Neste momento passamos a ter dados Reais, que possibilitarão identificar os Anseios, as Necessidades, os Sonhos, etc. dos nossos Melhores Clientes. Baseado no fato de que tempo é o bem mais precioso que todos têm, poderemos descobrir que em uma daquelas três vezes em que o Cliente entra no Ponto de Venda, poderia ser oferecido a ele mais que “Feijão e Arroz, Remédio ou Perfumaria, Azulejo ou Tinta, etc.”. Perceberemos que é possível atender algumas das suas Necessidades ou Sonhos, fornecendo-lhe Serviços.
At this point we start to have real data, which makes it possible to identify the anxieties, the necessities, the dreams, etc, of our best clients. Based on the the fact that time is most precious asset that everyone has, we will be able to discover in a third of the times the client enters a point of sale, the client could be offered more than just "rice and beans, medicine or perfume, ceramic or paint", etc. We will be able to recognize that it is possible to attend to some of the customers necessities or dreams, by offering them customer services.

Nossos Clientes, nossos Pontos de Venda e nossos Colaboradores, são nossos principais ativos. A fortuna ou a derrota está diretamente relacionada com a forma que cuidamos deste Patrimônio. Porém existem ações externas a nossa estrutura, que influenciam diretamente no resultado do negócio, acirrando cada vez mais a Concorrência, o que irá determinar uma redução impositiva de Rentabilidade.
Our clients, our points of sale and our collaborators are our principal activities. Fortune or defeat is directly related to the manner that we take care of these assets. However there exist external forces in our framework that directly influence the result of business, stimulating more and more competition, what is going to determine an imposed reduction of profitability.

Quando somamos: Clientes + Satisfação + Facilidades, passamos a ter um forte instrumento para viabilizar a implantação de um Programa de Relacionamento com Clientes, este Programa necessitará estar suportado por Ferramentas Informatizadas, que deverão estar disponíveis em todos os níveis de Contato e Relacionamento com os Clientes, se integrando naturalmente nas Operações de Venda ou Atendimento, Gerando e Mantendo uma Base de Dados Atualizada, Fidedigna e Padronizada.
When we sum: clients + satisfaction+ease, we start to have a powerful instrument in order to make viable the implementation of a program of relationship with clients; this program will need to be supported by informed tools, that should be available at all levels of contact and relationship with with the clients, integrating naturally with the operations of Sales and Customer Service, through creating and maintaining a base of current, accurate and standardized data.

A partir desta Base, iremos identificar, por exemplo, que um grupo muito grande de Clientes, uns cem mil, teriam uma grande chance de comprar um Seguro Perda de Renda, uma Assinatura de Revista especializada, um Curso para Formação de Enófilos, etc. que seria cobrado através de Pequenas parcelas mensais, em seu Cartão Private Label, podendo este contratar e pagar estes Serviços com muito mais conforto e comodidade, sem gastar mais seu tempo e potencializando a sua presença em nosso estabelecimento.
From this eventually created base of information, we will be able to identify, for example, that a group of a very large number of clients, some 100,000, has a high probability for making purchases of insurance for loss of income, subscription to a specialized magazine, payments for a course in wine making, etc, that will be charged through small monthly installments, on a private label card, the customers being able to contract and pay for these services with a lot more ease and comfort, without spending a lot of their time and having the potential to keep them within our establishment.

Evidentemente não iremos sair montando Seguradoras, Editoras ou Escolas, existem empresas especializadas nestes tipos de Produtos. Podemos realizar um Convênio com uma destas Empresas, terceirizando para elas o gerenciamento da oferta de seus Produtos e o Relacionamento com os Clientes, cobrando em pequeno valor por este Serviço (spread). Desta forma transformaremos Base de Dados em Receita, não necessitando vendê-la diretamente, desconfigurando o nosso objetivo, visto que não somos Empresas de Dados.
Obviously we are not going to put up insurance firms, publishing houses or schools; there are already establishments specialized in these products. We are going to have some kind of pact with these businesses, outsourcing to them the management and offer of their products and the relationship with the clients, paying a small fee for this service (spread). In this manner we will turn our information base into revenue, not requiring to sell it directly, impairing our objective, given that we are not data house businesses.

Estes oitenta centavinhos, por exemplo, a diferença entre aquilo que cobramos dos Clientes e pagamos a Empresa Conveniada, que será faturado mensalmente de cada Cliente, poderá representar uma Receita fixa mensal bastante significativa, muito importante para a Gestão e Rentabilidade do Negócio, dependerá apenas da capacidade de escala que se conseguir atingir.
These mere eighty cents, for example, the difference between what we charge the clients and what we pay on the business arrangement, that will be invoiced monthly for each client, will be able to represent a fixed monthly income that is quite significant, very important for the development of profitability for the business, and will depend only on the capacity of scaling up that you are able to achieve.

Este é só um exemplo de como criar Receitas não Operacionais em nosso Comércio, existem diversos outros, que podem ser utilizados, a partir do Momento que implantamos o Marketing de Relacionamento e conquistamos uma Base de Informações Significativa.
This is only one example of how to create non operational revenue in our business; there are several other examples that could be used, from the point in time that we implement marketing relationships and create a significant information base.

Além destas importantes receitas, quando descobrimos o que os Clientes necessitam e lhe oferecemos, através dos nossos Pontos de Venda, estamos satisfazendo-os e mostrando claramente que o Reconhecemos, que segundo pesquisas realizadas, é o que mais os Consumidores estão cobrando hoje em dia do Varejo.
Apart form this important revenue, when we discover what the clients need and offer it to them, through our points of sale, we are satisfying them and demonstrating clearly that we recognize them, that, according to surveys, is what the consumer is demanding most nowadays in retail business.

O instrumento que normalmente é utilizado para este fim é um Cartão Private Label, seu Cartão, com a sua Marca, Administrado por você, que deverá identificar seus Clientes Especiais, fornecendo-lhes Serviços, como por exemplo: um programa de Crédito pré-aprovado, uma Cobrança voltada ao Cliente especial, que nunca o achacará e sim, prestará um serviço para ajudá-lo a resolver uma situação de imprevisto, possibilitando que ele volte a ter capacidade de consumo através do Crédito que lhe fornecemos.
The instrument that is normally used to achieve this end is a private label card, your card, your brand, administered by you, for example a program of preapproved credit, special pricing offers for the client, that you never put the client down but offer a service to help the client resolve an unforeseen situation, making it possible for the client return to having the capacity to be a consumer through the credit that you offer.

Outro Serviço que poderá ser implantado em seu Cartão Private Label é um Programa de Fidelidade, estimulando-o a se identificar cada vez que realiza uma compra, um pagamento, uma reclamação, um elogio, etc.
Another program that you could implement on your private label card is a loyalty program, creating self recognition on the part of the client each time the client makes a purchase, makes a payment, files a complaint, offers a compliment, etc.

Esta é a única maneira para que seja conquistada uma Base de Dados com as características já citadas (fidedigna, atualizada e padronizada), transferindo para os Clientes a responsabilidade de mantê-la, quando ele exige que seja registrado o seu Cartão em todas as ocasiões, seja para ganhar Pontos no Programa de Fidelidade ou pagar uma compra, utilizando o Crédito que o Comerciante lhe ofereceu.
This is the only way that one will be able to create an information base with the characteristics already cited(accuracy, currency and standardization), transferring to the clients the responsibility of maintaining the information base, when the client demands to be registered into your private label card program, by using the credit that the business person offers the client.

A cada vez que ele realiza uma destas Operações, o Sistema de Gerenciamento do seu Cartão Private irá registrar em uma Base de Dados, todas as informações pertinentes. De acordo com o seu Fluxo de Cadastramento de Clientes, Vendas, etc., rapidamente teremos uma Base bastante significativa, pré-requisito para o Planejamento de novos Serviços a serem oferecidos, com a sua conseqüente venda.
Each time the customer performs any of these actions, the management system of your private label card is going to register all the pertinent information in an information base. Depending on the progress of registration of clients, sales made, etc, we will rapidly have a significant base of data, a prerequisite for the planning of new services to be offered with consequent sales.

Este não é um trabalho fácil, exige Investimentos, Planejamento, Profissionalismo e muitas vezes, meses ou anos de trabalho, até conquistar uma Base significativa de Informações. Todos estes pré-requisitos têm que ser cumprido, pois eles irão gerar Credibilidade ao seu Negócio, item importantíssimo para o sucesso do Projeto.
This is not easy work, it demands investment, planning, professionalism and, often, months or years of work, until you build up a significant information base. All the prerequisites have to be met, because they are going to generate credibility for your business, an extremely important factor for the success of the project.

Márcio Marcondes
Palestrante, Consultor e Diretor de Private Label e Fidelidade da Rentech,
(marcio.marcondes@rentech.com.br)


Márcio Marcondes,
Speaker, consultant and Director for private labeling and loyalty programs at Rentech
(
marcio.marcondes@rentech.com.br)








The definition of Credit-An intellectual discourse from Brazil.

The definition of Credit-An intellectual discourse from Brazil.


Click here for Potentially Useful Products, Services And Websites
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The original article below was written by Márcio Marcondes and can be found at http://www.varejista.com.br/novo_site/desc_materia.asp?id=18993,.
The Portuguese text is printed in blue, and the English translation of a phrase appears directly below.

Marcio Marcondes
by Marcio Marcondes
Inicialmente vamos analisar a origem da palavra Crédito: É derivada do latim, Creditu, que significa confiança. Agora vamos analisar a história da prática do Crédito pelo Varejo:
First we are going to analyze the origin of the word Credit: It is derived from the Latin word Creditu, which means confidence. Now let's analyze the history of the practice of retail credit.

Voltando às origens do negócio Varejo, lá nos tempos em que nem existia moeda, os negócios eram realizados na base da troca, o Escambo. Desde este tempo o Varejo já praticava o Crédito, onde após uma troca com valores reconhecidamente diferentes, sobrava um saldo para uma das partes, representando um Crédito para quem trocou possuindo a mercadoria de maior valor.
Returning to the origins of retail business, in the days in which there were no coins, business was carried out on the basis of exchange, barter trade. In this period retail already used credit, where after the exchange of goods of values recognizably different, there remained an outstanding balance on the part of one side of the trade, representing credit to the person who exchanged the goods that had the merchandise of greater value.

Após o implemento do conceito de Moeda, passou-se a praticar o Crédito através das Cadernetas, oportunidade em que o Comerciante demonstrava claramente confiança em seus fregueses, gerando um vínculo e fazendo com que sempre voltasse em sua Loja.
After the introduction of the concept on currency in the form of coins, they started to practice credit by using notebooks, an opportunity in which the business person demonstrated unreserved confidence in his clients, creating relationships and ensuring that the clients would always return to the business person's store.

Nesta época já se utilizava um conceito que só agora esta sendo aplicado: o RFV (Recência, Freqüência e Valor). A Recência era garantida pela necessidade do Pagamento, a Freqüência pela comodidade e o Valor pela satisfação gerada pelo Conhecimento que o Comerciante tinha do comportamento de compras do Cliente.
In this period they already used a concept that is only now beginning to be applied, RFV(Recency, Frequency and Value.) Recency is guaranteed by the necessity of payment, frequency by the convenience and value through the satisfaction derived through the knowledge that the business owner had of the buying habits of the client.


Nos tempos modernos, com o crescimento e importância que o negócio Varejo alcançou, foram sendo criadas novas técnicas, sendo uma delas o Crediário. Este negócio passou a ser tão importante, que alguns Comerciantes mais abastados criaram Financeiras, após ter percebido que o Crédito por si só era um grande negócio, podendo ser praticado em grandes volumes, bastando para isto ultrapassar as fronteiras da sua Loja, oferecendo os Serviços a mais e mais Comerciantes.
In modern day, with the increase of the importance that retail business has attained, new techniques have been created, one of them being sold credit. This business became so important that some of the wealthiest business people created financial institutions, after having realized that credit in itself was huge business, which could be carried in large volumes, being sufficiently large to expand the reach of their businesses, offering services to even many other business people.

Porém a adesão a este modelo ainda era modesta, pois as grandes cadeias de Lojas não o utilizavam, optando em operacionalizar o seu próprio crédito, pois isto lhes rendiam um grande volume de Receitas, além de ajudar na fidelização dos Clientes.
However, the adoption of this model was still rather modest, because the biggest business networks did not use this service, opting to create their own credit, because this gave them a lot of revenue, besides helping maintain customer loyalty.

Como todo Empresário que investe em algum negócio tem como meta aumentar o seu valor, estas financeiras encontraram uma nova forma de financiar vendas para o Varejo, mesmo que estes não contratassem o seu produto.
Just as every business person who invests in some business has as an objective to increase its value, these (sold credit) financial institutions found a new way of financing sales through retail, even though the buyers of the sold credit did not purchase their products.

Foi então que foram lançados os Cartões de Crédito, focando o Consumidor, oferecendo vantagens significativas para os que preferissem comprar em Lojas que aceitassem o pagamento em Cartão. Este negócio cresceu rapidamente, ganhando escala internacional, surgindo então as bandeiras de Cartões de Crédito, apoiadas por grandes campanhas de Marketing.
It was then that credit cards were launched, targeting the consumer, offering significant advantages to those who preferred to purchase in stores that would offer payment by credit. This business grew rapidly, gaining international scale, and thus ushering the dawn of the age of credit cards, backed by large scale marketing campaigns.

Como o custo destas operações pulverizadas é muito alto, a saída foi aumentar muito o número de Clientes, além da criação de novos modelos, gerando assim novas receitas, como a cobrança de Taxas de Administração dos Comerciantes, Anuidade para os Usuários, venda de seguros, cobrança de juros maiores que o praticado no mercado, estimular a rolagem das dívidas através da modalidade de Crédito Rotativo, inclusive fornecendo limites que estimulavam claramente o atraso, gerando grandes receitas de Encargos (multa e mora).
As the cost of these operations in small scale is very high, the solution was to increase significantly the number of clients, apart from the creation of new business models, as such generating new revenue; for example the charging of interest on administration services offered by the business person, annuity fees for the user of the card, the sale of insurance, charging interest higher than the market rate, stimulating the state of debt by means of rotative debt, including limits that clearly stimulated delayed repayments, generating a lot of revenue from missed obligations(penalties and late fees.)


Todas estas iniciativas foram bastante significativas, mais ainda existia uma grande parcela de Crédito sendo negociado diretamente pelos Comerciantes. Foi então que nasceu o movimento conhecido como Re-Engenharia, preconizando que as Empresas deveriam dedicar todos os seus esforços ao objetivo final do seu negócio, terceirizando as atividades que não estavam relacionadas ao seu Core Business.
All these initiatives were quite significant, but there still existed a major portion of credit being directly negotiated by the business community. It was then that the concept known as re-engineering was born, proposing that businesses should dedicate all their efforts to their main objective of their business, and outsourcing the activities that were not related to their core business.

Este movimento chegou ao Varejo e identificou que Crédito não era o seu negócio. Várias empresas, principalmente aquelas tocadas por Administradores Profissionais, aderiram ao modelo e terceirizaram suas áreas de crédito. Algumas inclusive viraram financeiras ou de propriedade de uma. No meu ponto de vista, o princípio básico do Varejo passou a ficar comprometido: A Confiança no Freguês.
This concept extended to retail and identified that credit was not their core business. Several businesses, mainly those involving administrative professionals, adhered to the model and outsourced their business units of credit. Some including previously created financial houses or some form of property. In my point of view, the basic principle of retail became compromised: trust of the customer.


Muitas vendas foram perdidas, pois dependiam de Créditos que não foram concedidos, pois este trabalho é realizado de forma fria e o mais automática possível pelas Financeiras, que praticamente utilizam a mesma técnica: a do Credit Escore.
Many businesses collapsed, because they depended on credit that was not granted, because this work is carried out in a cold-hearted manner and the most automated way possible by financial houses all which used practically the same technique: that of credit score.


Cada venda destas, perdidas individualmente, pareciam representar um risco a menos, porém quando este volume passava a ser muito alto, o varejo ficava sem caixa, tendo que recorrer exatamente a este setor financeiro, que o atendia com empréstimos valorizando este fato como parceria. Várias empresas foram à bancarrota, entre 1995 e 2000 foram mais de 120, só no ramo de eletro-eletrônicos.
Each of these sales, lost individually, seemed to represent less risk, however when the volume became large, credit retail remained without any suppliers, having undone exactly the same financial sector that attended to businesses taking advantage of this fact as business partners. Several businesses went bankrupt; between 1995 and 2000, just in the Electrum electronics industry alone, 120 went bankrupt.

As que se mantiveram fiéis às origens do Comércio não só sobreviveram como cresceram e hoje estão posicionadas entre as líderes em seus segmentos, como é o exemplo das Casas Bahia, Lojas Gabryella, Lojas Dadalto, entre outros.
Those that remained faithful to the original principles of retail credit not only survived but also grew and today are positioned among the leaders of their segments, such as the example of Casa Bahia, Lojas Gabryella, Lojas Dadalto, among others.

O Negócio do Varejo não pode ser apenas Comprar e Vender, cada vez mais percebe-se a necessidade do oferecimento de Serviços aos Clientes, potencializando a sua presença nos Pontos de Venda, gerando assim novas Receitas, que são muito importantes para a manutenção da Rentabilidade dos negócios.
The business of retail cannot only be buy and sell; more and more one realizes the need to offer services to the client, using the potential of the client's presence at the points of sale, generating in this manner new revenue, that is very important for the preservation of business retainability.


Com a competitividade acirrada e a carga tributária crescente, Empresas do Setor de Varejo sentem-se obrigadas a buscar estas Receitas, principalmente porque são classificadas como não operacionais. Este é o melhor momento para que retornemos às origens, somando nossa experiência com as tecnologias atualmente disponíveis e focando a operação no Cliente, não apenas na concorrência.
With increased competition and increasing taxes, businesses in the credit retail sector sense an obligation to seek out this source of income, especially because the revenue from this sector is classified as non-business operations. This is the best moment in time for us to return the origins of retail credit, combining our experiences of the past with the available latest technology and focusing on the business operation that is the client, and not only on the competition.


Márcio Marcondes
Palestrante, Consultor e Presidente da Electronic Market Solution
email: marcio@ems-private.com.br (now changed to marcio.marcondes@rentech.com.br)

By Márcio Marcondes
Speaker, Consultant and President of The Electronic Market Solution.
email:marcio@ems-private.com.br (now changed to marcio.marcondes@rentech.com.br)