In October 1982, Paraguay and Brazil closed the gates of the Itaipu River, beginning to fill the reservoir of what would soon be the world's largest dam. Located in a rainforest on the border between the two countries, the Itaipu dam would go on to supply vast amounts of energy for decades. But the rising waters also put thousands of animals at risk, as their habitat was flooded.

To mitigate this, the company launched one of the largest wildlife rescue operations in South America. It was called Mymba Kuera - 'the animals' in Guarani, the local language.

Dario Perez Chena led the operation on the Paraguayan side. He speaks to Stefania Gozzer about the challenges his team faced in saving nearly 30,000 animals.

Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by and curious about the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there.

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(Photo: A rescue team trying to grab a monkey. Credit: Itaipu Binacional)