IN the Pakaraima highlands of Region 8, the majestic Kaieteur Falls flows into the Potaro River. This magnificent beauty, an iconic feature of Guyana, with a single drop of 226 meters or 741 feet is situated in a National Park that serves as an important centre of endemism in the wider Guiana Shield Region and home to the Patamona people.
Ninety one (91) years ago, the Kaieteur National Park (KNP) was established as a protected area under Ordinance No. 41- Kaieteur National Park Act No. 20:02 of 1929 with the objective “to provide for the control of the said park and for the preservation of the natural scenery, fauna and flora”. KNP is the oldest protected area in the Amazon region, and one of the first in South America.

Did you know that the size of the park was changed twice? In 1929 the park initially covered an area of 116.6 km2. However, in 1973, the Act was modified reducing the size to a mere 19.4 km2 to allow for gold and diamond mining. More than 20 years later in 1999, the Act was again amended, increasing the area to its current size of 626.8 km2 – this was to allow for more effective management and protection of the ecosystem. For a number of years the KNP was managed without a management plan in place and with limited engagement with key stakeholders. However, as Protected Areas management evolved and improved globally, so did the system in Guyana.

With the passage of the Protected Areas Act 2011, KNP was brought under the National Protected Areas System (NPAS) and is currently managed by the Protected Areas Commission to safeguard Guyana’s natural heritage and patrimony. KNP is the smallest hinterland protected area in Guyana accounting for approximately 0.3% of the country’s land area and approximately 5.4% of the NPAS. This protected area is defined and managed under IUCN category VI as a managed sustainable use protected area. The Protected Areas Act also secures and guarantees the rights of indigenous peoples to continue to use the resources in the Park for traditional purposes.

Why Kaieteur? The landscape of the Park is stunning with elevations ranging from 75m at the base of the gorge to 1,066m on ridges adjacent to the Kaieteur Plateau. It contains vast areas of closed canopy rainforest, riparian forests, and scrub savannah. Together with the fact that the park hosts species that cannot be found anywhere else in the world, the need for conservation of this special place became increasingly important. The varying habitats attributed to the landscape’s relatively high altitudes, low temperatures, high rainfall and sandy soils gave rise to a rich diversity of species.

Plants in the area have been relatively well surveyed. 87 lichens, 72 bryophytes, 4 hepatics, 115 ferns, and 1,176 flowering plants have been recorded. Twenty two (22) endemic plant species have been identified, in addition to many unique orchids. The Kaieteur endemic cabbage head bromeliad, is common at Kaieteur Top as well as a newly-described fern, Hecistopteris kaiteurensis.

KNP’s fauna is relatively understudied, with the exception of the amphibians. Several new species of amphibians were recently described. Three hundred and fifty eight (358) bird species are listed with 21 of 22 of them being pan-tepui (table top mountain vegetation) endemics. Endangered species including the Harpy Eagle, Cock-of-the-Rock and Scarlet Macaw. KNP is a regionally-important site for various species of Swifts including White-collared Swift, Gray-rumped Swift, Band-rumped Swift and Tepui Swift. KNP supports populations of tropical rainforest megafauna including the globally endangered Giant River Otter and the vulnerable Giant Armadillo, Giant Anteater, Bush Dog, Southern River Otter, all wild cats, monkeys, wild hogs, and the tapir.

The cultural significance of KNP cannot be over-emphasised; it should be widely known, respected and celebrated. The Kaieteur Falls itself is an important spiritual area and symbol to the Patamona people of nearby villages of Chenapau and Karisparu as well as the other Patamona Villages in Region 8. They rely on the resources provided by the forests, rivers, and savannahs for generations. The knowledge of traditional use is an integral part of the culture and identity of the people and serves to inform the development of sustainable resource and land use plans for the park and surrounding area. With regard to the “sacredness” of the falls, the PAC, upon the request of the Patamona Communities, has been striving to ensure that visitors and researchers use the Park, and more particularly the Falls, in a respectful and responsible manner. Activities that are not compatible with the values of the Patamona people are not allowed, e.g disposal of human remains (ash) over the falls and extreme sporting activities.

What’s in a name? On the 16th July 1870 Charles Barrington Brown, a Geologist and Surveyor assigned to the then British Guiana, arrived at the falls (Brown 1871). It is believed that Brown miswrote the Patamona name for the Falls K?yik Túwúk (“Old Man’s Falls”) resulting in Kaieteur. In many documents from the period, the spelling Kaietuk was used, being closer to the original Patamona name and more consistent with the naming of Amatuk, Waratuk and Pakatuk. Brown’s 1871 description of the area also indicates the presence of a Patamona Village below the Falls. Brown first reported the “Kaieteur Legend” which described a large Patamona Village on the Kaieteur Plateau. The “Kaieteur Legend” was retold by William Henry Brett in a poem (Brett 1880). The story now being told of “Kaie” a Patamona Legend, was also turned into a poem in the 1940’s by A. J. Seymour. However the people of Chenapau have, over the years, maintained that it is the original story of the Kaieteur Legend that should be told, since it has much cultural and spiritual significance to the Patamona people.
In a subsequent article we will delve a bit more into the history of this “Legend” as we continue to share and celebrate the Might and Wonder of Kaieteur.
This article was prepared by the Protected Areas Commission, accompanied by a Graham Watkins photograph.