Joe Biden wandered into the Amazon rainforest after giving a speech warning of the dangers of climate change.
Wearing an open-necked blue shirt, dark slacks and his trademark Aviator sunglasses, the 81-year-old outgoing US president turned away from the podium and ambled into greenery.
The purpose of the photocall was to highlight the dangers of global warming, which have been dismissed by his successor, Donald Trump.
Having previously been to Lima, the Peruvian capital, Mr Biden travelled to Manaus, the largest city in the Brazilian Amazon.
He had flown by helicopter over where the Amazon and Negro rivers meet, seeing at first hand the dramatic drop in water levels because of the worst drought in decades.
He emphasised the role of trees in sucking carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere following a meeting with tribal leaders.
“The world’s forest trees breathe carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, and yet each minute, the world is chopping down the equivalent of 10 soccer fields worth of forest,” he said.
He also announced a $50 million (£40 million) donation to the Amazon Fund, bringing the total US contribution to $100 million.
Mr Biden added that he would leave the next administration with a strong climate policy to build on, if they chose to do so.
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