For the Pemón, the tepuis are holy places, sacred guardians of the savanna. Each tepui, every waterfall and river in this country has some connection with Pemón mythology -- as their names attest.

It's been described as one of the world's last virgin territories, but how safe is the Lost World from environmental threats?

The "Lost World" (El Mundo Perdido) of towering table mountains ("tepuis") stretches across southeastern Venezuela's rolling Gran Sabana (Grand Savanna), 35,000 square miles of grassy plains crisscrossed with rivers and dotted by rainforests and waterfalls.

Examination of tepuis wildlife is relatively limited compared to its vegetation.

The Lost World's craggy peaks and twisted rock sculptures may look like scenery from a Steven Spielberg film, but the main artist at work on this production is age.

No dinosaurs here, but the towering tabletop mountains of Venezuela's Lost World are no less surreal.