30 Jul 08

Dr George McGavin makes friends with the world's largest spider.

BBC One's Lost Land of the Jaguar sees scientists, including Oxford's Dr George McGavin, explore Guyana's unspoilt rainforests looking for rare species. The series begins tonight.

Dr George McGavin, who is an Honorary Research Associate at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, said: 'This biodiversity hotspot is, without doubt, one of the least explored rainforests on the planet but it is poised on the brink of changes that could have devastating effects on its rich flora and fauna.'

Highlights of the trip included coming face to face with the world's biggest spider, being attacked by army ants, and catching a rare glimpse of the Harpy Eagle, the world's largest eagle.

In an interview on the Oxford Science Blog, Dr McGavin said that the biodiversity embodied by Guyana's rainforests was vital for humankind's future survival. 'It’s what has sustained us for many tens of thousands of years,' he said. 'Within nature’s store cupboard are the bacterial, fungal, plant and animal species that will yield medicines, foods and genetic resources to keep us going for at least the next millennium.'

Read the full interview with George on the Oxford Science Blog.

The first part of Lost Land of the Jaguar airs tonight on BBC One at 8:00pm.