4 amazing places where no one can set foot

We invite you to get acquainted with four of these isolated corners of the world (without risking progress in no-go zones).

On a remote island called Spitsbergen, in the arctic archipelago of Svalbard in Norway, there are sandstone mountain shelters in a horrific place within 120 meters: The largest seed deposit in the world.

About 1300 km from the North Pole and 130 meters above sea level, thick permafrost The layer of frozen permafrost that surrounds the vault helps preserve hundreds of thousands of seed samples stored inside.

The place is also ideal for this task due to its lack of seismic activity.

However, although the seeds have been stored as safely as possible since the vault opened in 2008, there is no humane way to verify this.

The cellar is heavily protected with lime and stone, ensuring that the seeds are contained in it It can live for thousands of years If necessary.

However, in recent years, some scientists have expressed concern about rising temperatures, which have caused permafrost thaw.

On 2020local researchers documented the warmest summer on record in Svalbard.

“We’ve seen unprecedented melting of glaciers and melting permafrost,” scientist Kim Holmen of the Norwegian Polar Institute told the BBC.

The situation on probation started a few years ago.

This seed sanctuary can be vital to maintain, in the event of a major global catastrophe, a crop sanctuary that ensures species recovery, and that we humans do not lack for food.

Each country preserves its own seeds that are vital for food production, but the Svalbard Global Seed Bank is a kind of global supporter.

Ilha da Queimada Grande, better known as Ilha das Cobras (Cobra Island), is a small wild rocky island, without beaches and difficult to reach, located 35 kilometers from the coast of São Paulo.

The island was discovered in 1532 by the colonial expedition Martim Afonso de Sousa.

However, the history of Ilha das Cobras is much older. Formed at the end of the last Ice Age, about 11,000 years ago, when sea levels rose, separating the hill (which was part of Serra do Mar) from the mainland and turning it into an island.

It has attracted attention in the past five centuries for an unusual feature: it is almost inhabited by snakes: there are estimates that there may be Between one and five snakes per square meter of the island.

He is The second largest gathering of snakes By area in the world: about 45 per hectare, roughly the size of a football field – the second number after Shidao Island in China.

But on the Brazilian island, a type of highly venomous snake distinguished itself from its terrestrial relatives and became golden spear head (Bothrops insularis) Kind of pit viper Settlement in Queimada Grande.

It is so deadly that one bite is enough to prevent the birds that feed on it from flying again.

“Snake venom is more toxic to birds than it is to mammals,” biologist Marcelo Ribeiro Duarte, from the Institut Botantan Zoological Groups Laboratory, explained to BBC Brazil. “This proves the great adaptability of the species.”

The Pothrops Insularis Measure Between half a meter and a meterFemales are slightly larger.

“Because of the scarcity of animals on the island, without the presence of rodents or other mammals (except for bats), the adult insects feed on migratory birds (resident birds never seen),” the researcher told BBC Brazil. Poisonous Animals Vidal Haddad Jr. of Potocatu Medical College.

“Small specimens eat lizards, amphibians, and arthropods, like centipedes, for example.”

Brazilian government Prevent anyone from trampling on the islandAs a precaution.

The only exception to this rule are some researchers who in order to visit them must be accompanied by a doctor at all times and follow strict protocols.

In any case, this remote 43-hectare island off the coast of São Paulo does not seem like a favorite holiday destination.

Four teenagers searching for a dog that disappeared through a hole in the ground discover this wonderful cave in the south of France in 1940.

In the most surprising incident, their dog led them into a cave covered with murals depicting animals such as horses and deer.

Dating back nearly 17,000 years, it was one of the best-preserved examples of prehistoric art ever discovered, with nearly 600 plates and 1.000 engravings in total.

When the discovery was made, World War II was raging.

Eight years later, Lascaux Cave was opened to the curious public who wanted to see the works of their ancestors up close.

In 1963, visits were suspended The General. Mold has spread on the walls of the cave, threatening the preservation of the artwork that had been located in airtight conditions before it was discovered.

Nearly 60 years later, the cave is still largely off-limits to the public, although a replica has been built nearby for tourists to visit.

Uluru, formerly known as Ayers Rock, has been a tourist attraction for many years, but has recently been added to the list of places not to be visited by the public.

Also called the “navel of the world,” it is one of the largest monoliths on the planet.

Previously, visitors could attempt to climb to the top 348 meters high, although that meant encountering a intense heat, With summer temperatures around 47 degrees Celsius.

A sharp rise to the top may also cause difficulties. But for many, the beauty of the place is of its own making.

Uluru place sacred to the aborigines anangu Who are the guardians of the rock and wanted visitors to stop climbing out of respect for their traditions.

This desire was unanimously supported by a petition from the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park Board, which made the decision to prevent people from setting foot in Uluru in 2017.

October 25, 2019 was the last day people were allowed to climb the rock before the ban went into effect. Long queues of tourists formed.

In the Anangu culture, Uluru is evidence that celestial beings came to Earth when it was still formless and lifeless. They traveled through it, creating species and living forms, such as Uluru, along the way.

Visitors can still visit Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. But the sacred rock YesIt can only be observedStart step or climb.

Many tourists do not suppress the opportunity to take a photo from the air.

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