Heartbreaking Scene: Cow Roams Ashen Serra Amarela After Devastating Wildfire - A Stark Reminder of Nature's Fragility

A poignant video shared on social media captures a cow wandering through the charred remains of Serra Amarela, within the Peneda-Gerês National Park, following a relentless wildfire that raged for over a week between Ponte da Barca and Terras de Bouro.

The footage, shot by local videographer Carlos Coelho, quickly went viral on Facebook, amassing over 2.2 thousand likes and 3.4 thousand shares by 14:45 today. Coelho describes the scene as the cow calling out for others, lamenting, "What they have done to our Serra Amarela."

5,786 Hectares of Peneda-Gerês National Park Consumed by Flames

Preliminary data from the Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests (ICNF) reveals that the wildfire, which broke out on July 26 in Ponte da Barca and was under resolution by Sunday, scorched a total of 7,550 hectares. Of this, 5,786 hectares were within the protected confines of the Peneda-Gerês National Park (PNPG).

The PNPG, established in 1971 and managed by the ICNF, spans 69,596 hectares across the districts of Braga (Terras de Bouro), Viana do Castelo (Melgaço, Arcos de Valdevez, and Ponte da Barca), and Vila Real (Montalegre).

Augusto Marinho, Mayor of Ponte da Barca, highlighted the extensive damage, estimating over 7,500 hectares of the natural park were consumed, with significant losses in various areas and livestock left without pasture.

As of 13:00, the National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection (ANEPC) reported 384 personnel, 127 vehicles, and one aerial unit were deployed to combat the blaze.

With Lusa