One of Earth’s largest botanical sanctuaries – Chile’s 1,000-acre national garden in Viña del Mar – is now 98% destroyed after catastrophic wildfires claimed 123 lives. 🌿💔 The inferno consumed rare species found nowhere else on Earth, including Sophora toromiro trees now extinct in the wild.
Staff evacuated hundreds of visitors Friday as flames swallowed the research hub, home to 1,000+ plant species. The human toll hit close: a greenhouse worker, her mother, and two grandchildren perished in the disaster.
Scientists call this an extinction-level event for biodiversity. The garden housed plants from Europe, Asia, and Chile’s own ‘ecological fingerprint’ – cacti and trees you won’t find in your local plant shop. 🌍🔬
As climate change amplifies wildfires globally, this tragedy sparks urgent questions: How do we protect our planet’s living libraries? 💬 One thing’s clear: nature’s backup drive just crashed.
