the brazilian emperor, dom pedro ii, also known as 'the magnanimous', received a special welcome when he returned from a journey abroad to find the word 'hail' residing on top of the mountain.

much of sugar loaf mountain is bare, revealing the rugged granite surface, but there are sporadic patches of green vegetation, remnants of the atlantic forest, which contains a huge diversity of rare plant species and animals.   and a number of endemic species.

the flora and fauna in the region are quite diverse, including various species native to the area, some of which have been reintroduced after being rescued from traffickers.