The biggest bird in Brazil, the Rhea or Ema which can reach a height of 1.5 m and which survival as a species is precarious in the midterm, stirred the creation of a the Das Emas National Park, an ecological haven of the Municipality of Mineros, State of Gois, in the north-eastern region of the country.

The area shares borders with the states of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul and has a 131,868 hectare surface and a 150 km perimeter. It limits with the Jacuba River to the north and the Hermoso River to the south.

Fauna

Groups of wild boars, capybaras, monkeys, deer, and certainly rheas, are commonly seen. The small anteater, foxes, wolfs, wild dogs, tapirs, armadillos, anacondas, Red-legged Seriema (Cariama cristata), sparrow-hawks, barn owls, Scissor-tailed Nightjar (Hydropsalis brasiliana) and ocelots can be seen in smaller numbers.

The best time for obsreving the wild fauna is during the sprouting season when animals are searching their food.

Flora

The grasslands can reach 2 m heights and grow over 60% of the park's area. The tallest trees can reach 4 or 5 m heights in some zones.
Sub-aquatic woods

The Hermoso and Jacuda Rivers allow the visualization of stones and sub-aquatic woods, as a result of a good penetration of the sunrays into the water. They reach 4 m depths in some places.

The cumpinzeiros

In the first stages of the rainy season the cumpizeiros perform the bioluminescence phenomenon which consists in the irradiation of a blue greenish phosphorescent light, coming from small larvae stuck to the leafs in search for food. The result is a very beautiful night show.

This park holds the biggest concentration of cumpinzeiros per square metre in the world.

Weather

The dry season with water shortages shows during the winter of the southern hemisphere, from April to September. The summer and spring seasons are very hot with temperatures ranging between 22 and 24 C. Rains go from 1500 to 1750 mm a year.

Do nots

Do not leave lit cigarette butts in order to avoid fires.

Do not leave any type of garbage inside the park.

Do not do any harm to the plants and animals.

Do not drive above 30 km per hour.

Do not catch flowers, nor take fruits or plants.

How to get there

The access road from Brasilia, at 700 km from the park, is completely asphalted. You can also have access if coming through dirt roads from Chapadao do Cu.