Giant otter safe distance of are proposed to offer further protection. The giant otter has lost as much as 80% of its South American range. While still present in a number of north-central countries, giant otter populations are under considerable stress. The IUCN lists Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela as current range countries. Given local extinctions, the species' range has become discontinuous. Total population numbers are difficult to estimate. An IUCN study in 2006 suggested 1,000 to 5,000 otters remain. Populations in Bolivia were once widespread but the country became a "black spot" on distribution
East-West Link (Suriname) by Pitou van Dijk, the Linden-Paramaribo section has only secondary priority with IIRSA at the moment. The East-West Link has a ferry connection with Guyana on the western side since 1998, connecting South Drain with Moleson Creek. In the east there has been a ferry between Albina and Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni in French Guiana since 1969. Within the framework of the IIRSA, the Suriname Planning Bureau has done some studies on the incorporation of the East-West Link in the Pan-American Highway. Suriname has been part of the Pan-American Highway project since 1982. Apart from the reconstruction of the East West Link as