German zoologist, science journalist and giant anteater researcher Lydia Möcklinghoff has died in a plane crash in Brazil. She was 45.
Videos by Suggest
Brazilian authorities identified Möcklinghoff and pilot Henrique Martin de Carvalho as the two people aboard the twin-engine aircraft that crashed shortly after takeoff near Santa Maria Airport in Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, on July 3. Investigators continue to examine the cause of the accident.
Brazilian news outlet O Globo reported that the aircraft departed from Santa Maria Airport and was headed toward the Pantanal region when it went down in a wooded area near the airport.
Emergency responders recovered both victims at the scene. Authorities have not released a final determination on what caused the crash, and Brazil’s Aeronautical Accidents Investigation and Prevention Center (CENIPA) is leading the investigation.
Lydia Möcklinghoff Aboard Airplane That Crashed After Take-Off
Möcklinghoff earned international recognition for her work studying giant anteaters in Brazil’s Pantanal.
She dedicated years to researching the threatened species and became widely known for sharing her scientific expertise through books, television appearances and public outreach. She also worked as a science journalist and pursued doctoral research at the Alexander Koenig Research Museum in Germany.
Colleagues across the scientific community paid tribute following news of her death. The Xenarthrans organization, which focuses on the conservation and study of anteaters, sloths and armadillos, announced her passing on Facebook and honored her lasting contributions to wildlife research. T
The organization remembered Möcklinghoff as a valued colleague whose work advanced knowledge of xenarthran species and inspired conservation efforts.
Tributes also highlighted her personal qualities. Friends and colleagues described her as curious, generous and deeply committed to protecting wildlife. One longtime colleague wrote that Möcklinghoff ranked among the finest people she had known and said her loss would take time to comprehend.
While investigators continue their work to determine exactly what happened, many in the scientific community have chosen to focus on the legacy she leaves behind.
Her research expanded understanding of giant anteaters, strengthened conservation efforts in the Pantanal and inspired others to protect some of South America’s most remarkable wildlife.