World Environmental Day: Wildlife commission fosters human interactions with animals

…commissioner criticises schools’ curriculum for categorising animals as ‘helpful’ or ‘harmful’

To celebrate its 7th Anniversary the Guyana Wildlife and Management Commission (GWCMC) unveiled a new banner and introduced ambitious wildlife conservation plans.

At the celebration recently, Commissioner Alona Sankar emphasised the importance of this milestone, stating that the new banner symbolises a fresh chapter in their environmental efforts. As part of their anniversary celebrations, the GWCMC aims to educate the public on responsible wildlife interactions.
Sankar highlighted that conflicts between humans and animals are often rooted in human behavior. “It’s quite often the human element behind it. Sometimes, human-wildlife conflicts aren’t necessarily about the wildlife; sometimes it’s just about the humans,” she explained
She stressed that many conflicts could be resolved by understanding animal behavior.
“You’ll find that some conflicts can be solved if humans just communicate reasonably and try to understand each other’s perspectives. Animals are mostly just looking for food and end up encountering humans; it’s not necessarily always a case of animals wanting to attack,” she said.
Addressing common misconceptions, Sankar noted that people often have the wrong idea that wild animals make good pets.
“Wild animals belong with their groups in a social setting, not with humans. When they cause problems in communities, it’s not the monkeys’ fault, it’s the humans fault.”
Reflecting on her seven-year conservation journey with the wildlife commission she remarked, that sometimes people can be wilder than the animals they complain about.
The commission’s vision is to secure the future of Guyana’s wildlife. Sankar stressed the need for collective effort. “We need everyone on board, all our partners, schoolchildren, their parents, families, and friends. Collectively, we all have to do our part to ensure the future of our wildlife is secure.”
Sankar also criticised the primary school curriculum for categorising animals as either helpful or harmful, which can lead to negative perceptions.
“One of the topics that I see in the primary curriculum deals with helpful and harmful animals and I sometimes find this topic a bit problematic While some snakes are venomous, not all pose a threat. We need to consider the other side of things,” she expressed.
When asked about her futuristic plans for the commission she revealed that the commission is planning to continue to work on the domestic system.
“For our future goals it would be to continue to build the domestic system, we do have a long way to go and we need to bring it to a very robust point particularly in the monitoring of the off-take it needs to be built up and we need to work on how we will monitor it from the time of harvest to the end user.”
She added, “Once we are able to monitor that carefully we would have the information we need on the numbers that are harvested and then we can make some decisions based on that information that we have.”

Sankar encouraged that members of the public can assist the cooperation in their various efforts by simply being compliant, she expressed that if persons are engaged in any wildlife related activity, they should ensure that they get the necessary permissions or the necessary licenses to do so because when they do that the commission receives the data that they need so that they can analyse and then make some decisions.

Interactions
Meanwhile, in line with Sankar’s commitment to humane wildlife interactions, experts demonstrated safe animal handling techniques to primary school children.
Environmentalist group, Biota Herzoj, dedicated to sustainable practices, was present at the event where they showcased their exported animals.
Children had the opportunity to touch and hold various species, including tarantulas, red-foot spiders, baby caimans, and snakes. These hands-on experiences aim to educate young minds about wildlife and foster a deeper understanding of animal behavior.
The leader of Biota Herzoj emphasised the importance of informative sessions that highlight how animals interact, stating that such initiatives are essential for educating the public about wildlife.
In an interview with Guyana Times, he revealed that Biota Herzoj is shifting its focus from capturing wild animals to breeding them in captivity. “For us at Biota Herzoj, instead of capturing animals from the wild, we’re moving towards breeding. This way, we don’t diminish wild populations and can even donate animals to local zoos,” he explained.
To address the risk of snake bites, Biota Herzoj is working to produce sufficient anti-venom locally.
“We are working towards producing our own anti-venom. With many venomous snakes in Guyana, having locally produced anti-venom would be more cost-effective and beneficial for the country,” he added.
He highlighted the high cost of imported anti-venom, noting that three vials of five-milliliter anti-venom currently cost around $1500 USD. Local production could significantly reduce this expense for the population.
The GWCMC remains dedicated to fostering a better understanding and coexistence between humans and wildlife, ensuring a secure future for all species in Guyana. The anniversary celebration, attended by scores of primary school children, featured live interactions with snakes, caimans, turtles, and tarantulas, reinforcing the commission’s vision of securing Guyana’s wildlife future through collective effort.
Prior to the establishment of the GWCMC in 2017, wildlife conservation in Guyana was managed by a wildlife division that only regulated the international export of wildlife, however upon, the GWCMC’s inception they have been mandated to not only manage international wildlife trade but also the domestic management of wildlife. The GWCMC country has received numerous reports and complaints regarding wildlife encounters. The commission has transitioned from merely managing wildlife to proactively addressing and mitigating human-wildlife conflicts.
Throughout its seven-year journey, the GWCMC has worked tirelessly to educate the public, promote sustainable practices, and ensure the harmonious coexistence of humans and wildlife in Guyana.