Conservation

Conservation & Rescue Babies

At the heart of everything we do at Karanambu, is our commitment to conservation and the economic empowerment and inclusion of local communities.

Karanambu is the only location with a special MOU with the Guyana Wildlife
Commission that allows for the legal rescue and rehabilitation of wild and
endangered species. Today this includes more than just baby otters, with a juvenile grison, jaguarondi and margay all having been successfully reintroduced to the wild in resent years.

As Guyana’s oldest private protected area, Karanambu does not allow hunting, net-fishing (though traditional line fishing is allowed for indigenous persons), trapping, burning or un-authorised logging.

NO HUNTING

NO NET-FISHING

NO BURNING

NO TRAPPING

NO LOGGING

"Karanambu has cared for over 70 giant
otter cubs over the past 30+ years "

In the 1990’s through the medium of television Diane become famous across the globe as “The Otter Lady”. Admirers from across the globe started writing and coming to visit her at Karanambu. Diane’s charm and hospitality would soon establish Karanambu once again as the ‘must visit’ site in the Rupununi and establish Diane as a pioneer of Eco-Tourism and conservation in Guyana.

Karanambu’s commitment to empowering local communities would also lay the seeds for the emergence of community based conservation and community tourism across the Rupununi.

Diane McTurk and one of her beloved beasts.
Photo Credit Peter Oxford.

Diane was awarded the National Medal of Service and is today recognized as one of Guyana’s most famous and beloved daughters and Karanambu as a haven for wild life of all sorts.

With the passing of Diane in 2016 the Management of the Lodge and preservation of Karanambu’s unique legacy has fallen to her nephew Edward, his wife Melanie and their family and loyal staff.