This crevice is huge in depth and length, and in one location a rumbling sound – like a remote jet plane – is heard. It’s the sound of a large waterfall far below – covered by layers of rock. Some time in the future this crevice may have grown to a divide that separate parts of Roraima in two.
Portions of this crevice was previously inhabited by a large population of oilbirds (Steatornis caripensis), but is now completely vacated due to more than 40 days of intense helicopter traffic close by. The Discovery Channel was permitted by the Pemon and local authorities to shoot a reality series called “Out of the wild”, and it required all three helicopters in continous service during these days.
In addition St. Elena based helitourism daily drop off tourists on the same location Discovery channel did, and that location is so close to the crevice that the oilbirds simply fled. The question is to where? Will they ever come back? Will the helitourism admit to their impact and find a remote and nonintrusive landing platform?
Wildlife on Roraima is extremely fragile, both due to the harsh conditions but also due to the high endemism. I met many that came to Roraima to see the oilbirds, and their shock and disappointment was more than obvious.
I have notified both the travel company I used, as well as fudena.org.ve (FUDENA Fundación para la Defensa de la Naturaleza) – a WWF-affiliate. The CEO had never heard of this problem, by the way…..
Last updated on 22 June 2015
