A forgotten world, isolated for millions of years – the table-top mountains in southern Venezuela. The indigenous people revere these ‘Tepui’, which means ‘House of the Gods’. Scientists see them as ‘islands of time’, and an international and interdisciplinary research team, including a geologist, micro- biologist, bioacoustician, and a biologist, set out to investigate life on one of the largest mountains.
The team explores whether the primaeval microbes that built elaborate rock foundations in an extensive cave system could be used for medical purposes, documents the diversity of plants and animals, and considers how the country could promote nature conservation.
As the steep walls of the Tepui can only be reached by helicopter and the pitch-dark caves harbour dangers, the team faces a thrilling adventure at one of the most spectacular places on Earth.
