Summary

Kaburi Creek is a biodiversity jewel of Suriname and should be viewed as a precious asset of its natural heritage. All care must be taken to minimize human impacts and threats to its continued well-being. The Kaburi Creek-Nanni Lake Nature Reserve proposed in 1978 should be declared this year and the necessary controls put in place as soon as possible.

The Giant otters are still using Kaburi Creek regularly despite of the increased human activities and competition for high ground. However, sooner or later there will be an imbalance when the otters will not be able to find suitable campsites in key habitat areas of the creek as humans take them over one by one for their own use.

Currently the human use and impacts to the creek are increasing at an alarming rate, and this just during the past four months. Activities include fishing, hunting, logging, permanent and temporary human camps and large kitchen gardens and the capture of wildlife.

A long-term study of the Giant otters in the creek should be initiated and monitoring its biodiversity should become a project. We propose that a team of two researchers be stationed in the creek from September 15 to December 15, 2001 to insure that the otters are protected during the breeding season. Our past strategy of a seven-day visit every two months has proved insufficient.

A local environmental education program supervised by STINASU and based in Washabo should be launched as soon as possible. Limited eco-tourism could be introduced to the creek in October 2001, provided the supervised groups are kept very small and spend no more than a few days on the creek at one time. We recommend that other walks and tours be planned if the otters are shy.