Wildlife

The Rupununi is a biological treasure trove. More than 1,400 vertebrate species inhabit the region. This richness is comparable to Western Amazonia, the most diverse place on Earth. This extraordinary diversity stems from three factors. The first is the meeting of Amazonian and Guiana Shield faunas at the continent’s edge. The second is the remarkable variety of habitats, ranging from open savanna to montane rainforest. The third factor is the seasonal flood cycle, creating one of the world’s great freshwater ecosystems.

The Seasonally Flooded Wetlands

The annual flood is the Rupununi’s defining ecological event. During the wet season, rainfall raises water levels by up to 15 meters. This rise transforms flat savannas into an inland sea that stretches to the horizon. Fish spread across the flooded plains to feed and spawn. Aquatic birds — herons, ibis, jacanas, and storks — follow the fish in their millions. Giant river turtles nest on exposed sandbanks. When the waters recede, concentrations of fish in shrinking pools sustain both human communities and the region’s predators.

The North Rupununi Wetlands are recognized internationally for their importance to waterbirds. They are crucial for freshwater biodiversity. These wetlands form a critical ecological link between the Kanuku Mountains and the Essequibo River.

The Forest

Forests cover the Kanuku Mountains and Iwokrama to the north, providing habitat for species that can’t survive in open savanna. The Iwokrama Forest is a protected tropical rainforest covering 1 million acres in the center of Guyana. It hosts over 1,500 plant species. There are more than 500 bird species. It includes 420 fish species and 200 mammal species. Six new species have been discovered within its boundaries. FSC certification, held since 2016, confirms its status as a model for sustainable tropical forest management.

The forests of the Kanuku Mountains support the highest biodiversity in Guyana. They sustain more than half of the country’s bird species. Conservation International recognizes the Kanukus as one of the last remaining pristine Amazonian habitats.

The Savanna

The Rupununi savannas support a distinctive suite of large mammals adapted to open grassland. The giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla), threatened across much of its range, maintains healthy populations here. The giant armadillo — the largest armadillo in the world, growing to 1.5 meters — is rarely seen but still exists. Savannah deer and crab-eating foxes are part of a savanna fauna found nowhere else in Guyana.