But we became quickly aware that this island of protected rain forest is under siege. Record-high gold prices have drawn thousands of destitute, would-be miners to Madre de Dios. In scenes reminiscent of California's Gold Rush, they are clearing forests, using hydraulic hoses to unearth ore from the exposed soil, and attempting to separate gold with globs of toxic mercury.
"These are basically poor farmers from the Andes who have come to the Madre de Dios," said Luis E. Fernandez, a visiting researcher at Stanford University who is part of a scientific team studying the impacts of Amazonian gold mining. "They are unaware of the risks of mercury, to themselves or the environment."
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