Brazil caimans fight to survive in polluted Rio waters

Brazilian biologist Ricardo Freitas catches a caiman in the dark of night in Rio de Janeiro's Jacarepagua district. Pollution threatens the survival of caimans, with 85 percent being males due to higher water temperatures. The caimans play a crucial role in maintaining the area's biodiversity. Freitas has been studying these waters for over 20 years and has found contamination from heavy metals. Rampant urbanization has reduced the caimans' native habitat, forcing them into polluted residential areas.