South Rupununi villages establish new conservation area to protect Giant Armadillo & Giant Anteater

The South Rupununi communities of Shea, Maruranau, and Awarewaunau have come together to establish the Deep South Giant Armadillo Conservation Area, covering 150,000 hectares (570 square miles) of forest and savannah ecosystem.

This vast conservation area — larger than Hong Kong and twice the size of the Cayman Islands — will not only safeguard two of Guyana’s most iconic and vulnerable species, the Giant Anteater and Giant Armadillo, but also provide a sanctuary where other wildlife and their habitats are treasured and protected.

According to a statement from the South Rupununi Conservation Society (SRCS), it has been working with these communities to revolutionise how natural resources are managed, using the giant armadillo and giant anteater as symbols of both value and vulnerability.

“Through years of dialogue, the shared solution emerged: set aside safe spaces for wildlife to thrive free from farming or logging, while managing surrounding lands for long-term coexistence between people and nature,” the organisation noted.

At a landmark signing ceremony on October 6, the leaders of the three villages signed an Inter-Community Agreement, pledging to:

✅ Continue community-led research and conservation of biodiversity
✅ Monitor their land and protect wildlife habitats
✅ Educate their youth and residents on sustainable resource management
✅ Implement their refined Village Sustainability Plans, which include new land-use zones and guidelines to ensure long-term coexistence between people and wildlife.

In an inspiring show of leadership, Shea and Maruranau have committed a total of GYD $2.5 million annually from their Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) funds to sustain conservation, research, and education activities.

Conservation International–Guyana has also pledged GYD $1 million per community to support these shared goals.

This initiative forms part of the project: “Community-managed Research and Conservation of Giant Anteaters and Giant Armadillos in the Eastern Deep South Rupununi” (2023–2026) — designed and managed by Angelbert Johnny (Project Coordinator, SRCS) and Erin Earl (Technical Supervisor, SRCS).

It is funded by:

🌱 Conservation International–Guyana Conservation International Guyana
🌱 GEF Small Grants Programme GEF Small Grants Programme
🌱 Jacksonville Zoo Jacksonville Zoo and Botanical Gardens
🌱 Audubon Nature Institute Audubon Zoo

Technical assistance was also received from the ICAS Giant Armadillo Project (Brazil) Instituto de Conservação de Animais Silvestres – ICAS.

The Inter-Community Agreement was officially signed by Toshao Daniel Aguilar (Maruranau Village), Toshao Berlinda Alfred (Awarewaunau Village), and Councillor Marlon Augusto (Shea Village) and was witnessed by SRCS, Conservation International, and Small Grants Programme representatives.