News Room has reported another incident of illegal mining, this time in the Kanuku Mountain Protected Area in Central Rupununi, Guyana. Authorities caught six Brazilian men in the act back in April 2025.
Unfortunately, illegal mining has become more common worldwide, whether culprits are looking for gold in the pristine Kanuku or sand in Nagpur, India. Doing so in protected or restricted areas often comes at a cost to the local environment by spreading pollution and disrupting local ecosystems.
The case in Guyana stands out as the protected area is one of the last untouched wilderness zones in the country, per News Room. According to Protected Areas Trust (Guyana), the yellow-spotted river turtle, dwarf caiman (one of the smallest species in the Alligatoridae family), giant anteater, and over 89 species of bats — the highest recorded in the world — roam these mountains. The overall biodiversity in this area accounts for 70% of mammal and 53% of bird species in the country, according to the Guyana Chronicle.
Protecting the area from encroachment also matters to human well-being. The local Macushi and Wapishana people, who migrated from Brazil in the 1780s, still live traditionally off the land and water in those mountains.
Luckily, the arrest of the six illegal miners by the Commander of Region Nine, who also had the support of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) and village councilors, shows one way the space remains protected. The region was added to the Protected Area Act in 2011 before the Protected Areas Commission became operational in 2012. The Kanuku Mountains Protected Area Management Plan has outlined principles, including community consultations and workshops, to further manage the area between 2024 and 2028.
Other supporters, like the Frankfurt Zoological Society, also educate about the value of these mountains through field stations and nature camps. Camera trappings record and monitor large animals, and trained field rangers also monitor satellite footage to check for illegal activities.
Guyana isn't alone, as illegal gold mining has boomed in Ghana. Nigeria, a country rich in several minerals such as the sought-after lithium, recently cracked down on 10 suspects who violated a government ban on area mining.
Efforts to protect areas from violations by illegal miners can help the planet heal for a cleaner and cooler future. After all, without clean water and healthy land, everyone from humans to pollinators left with habitat loss will suffer.
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