Guyana is a truly unspoilt and a relatively undiscovered paradise; this is one of the primary reasons that the destination was rebranded “Guyana – South America Undiscovered”. One of the destination’s greatest assets is its abundant flora and fauna, in fact, the country has become known as the land of the giants; it is home to several of the world’s largest species of animals, including the highest number of fish and bat (90) species for any area this size; the freshwater fish – Arapaima; the Giant Otter; the world’s largest pit viper – the Bushmaster; the Giant River Turtle; the Black Caiman; the Jaguar; South America’s largest bat – the False Vampire Bat; the Harpy Eagle and the Anaconda.
The abundant wildlife continues to lure scientists, filmmakers and adventure seekers and have resulted in the production of countless documentaries and publications. Guyana, through its rich biodiversity and intact rainforest, was an inspiration for Arthur Conan Doyle’s “The Lost World”, and John Gimlette’s BBC production “Lost Land of the Jaguars” among many others. In fact with growing global concerns about climate change, Guyana possesses one of the most unique protected area systems on Earth – Iwokrama. The Iwokrama Canopy Walkway is situated in some of the world’s most species -rich rainforest. Wildlife that is regularly seen includes the red howler monkeys, spider monkeys, capuchins, mannekins, macaws, toucans, parrots, hawks, tannegers, trogans, puff birds, labaria snakes and butterflies.
The Iwokrama Forest’s ecosystem is located at the juncture of Amazonian and Guianan flora and fauna. As a result, it contains high species richness and several species of animals that are threatened or extinct across most of their former geographic ranges, like the giant anteater. Of note, Guyana has an impressive list of over 800 species of birds and the Iwokrama Forest can boast to being home to about 500 species. With further studies, this list is expected to exceed 600 species.
Then there is Mount Roraima, which is believed to have inspired the setting for Doyle’s 1912 classic “The Lost World”, where prehistoric creatures survived on a plateau. It certainly fits the bill. Defended by seemingly impenetrable 400 metre-high cliffs, the flat summit of Mt Roraima is home to many species found nowhere else on Earth. These endemic plants and animals have developed to be truly out of this world. Sitting on the border of Guyana, Venezuela and Brazil, Mt Roraima is part of the Pakaraima chain of flat-topped mountains, known locally as tepui.
In fact, around 35 per cent of the species on Mt Roraima are endemic, such as the Roraima bush toad. And 70 per cent of those found on South America’s tepuis exist only on these plateaus. Other species are like living fossils, almost identical to plants and animals that are now extinct in the rest of the world. For millions of years, life has been existing completely independently on these mist-shrouded mountaintops, away from the prying eyes of civilisation.
Iwokrama and Mt Roraima are just two examples of areas where wildlife thrives and where it is also protected. With regard to wildlife, Guyana is abundantly blessed and there is much to celebrate, particularly as World Wildlife Day comes around. Entrepreneurs too have long seen opportunities in Guyana for ecotourism and, more recently, the importance of forests in efforts to combat climate change has also been recognised.
World Wildlife Day 2017 will be celebrated under the theme “Listen to the Young Voices.” As to the significance of the chosen theme, the United Nations pointed out that given that almost one quarter of the world’s population is aged between 10 and 24, vigorous efforts need to be made to encourage young people, as the future leaders and decision makers of the world, to act at both local and global levels to protect endangered wildlife.
This year’s observation aims to encourage young people around the world to rally together to address ongoing major threats to wildlife, including habitat change, over-exploitation or illicit trafficking. Youths are the agents of change. Governments, law makers, enforcement officers, and officials across every region are scaling up their efforts to protect wildlife. Our country is celebrated internationally for our rich biodiversity; therefore, the responsibility rests with each of us to protect or wildlife and their habitats. We all have a role to play. Our collective conservation actions can be the difference between a species surviving or disappearing.
