To the rescue of the last refuge

Researchers from Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica (UNA), Conservation International, and the Wildlife Conservation Society of New York are working together to protect monkeys at Corcovado National Park. If there were a monkey paradise, it would be Corcovado National Park with its 198 hectares, where squirrel, howler, capuchin, and spider monkeys hang from the hundreds of trees found in this natural refuge, one of the last remaining in Latin America.

"During three tours, these animals were captured to analyze their genetics and physical condition. After waking up from the anesthesia administered through darts, they are freed in the forest, " observed Grae Wong, a biologist from the International Institute for Wildlife Conservation and Management (ICOMVIS) who led the research. Both Grae Wong and other researchers who are working on the project are preventing the death of these mammals. Even though there are environmental protection policies in place, deaths must be prevented.

Although it might seem unbelievable, mysterious deaths are not the result of any virus but of excess rain that partially reduces the supply of food and causes stress among animals; these dynamics end up weakening animal health and accelerating their death. Studies will continue throughout the year thanks to efforts by Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica and the sponsorship of Conservation International and the Wildlife Conservation Society of New York.

According to researchers, this situation proves the fact that protecting areas does not guarantee the survival of all species since external factors such as the rain —that has also changed due in part to actions taken by man throughout the years — can break the balance that mother nature has tried to keep over the centuries.

A natural treasure

Corcovado National Park derives its importance from its rich biodiversity; this park is also outstanding because four species of monkeys live in Costa Rica, and all four are found in this protected area. It is the largest fragment of tropical rainforest along the Central American Pacific coast.

This and other factors make Osa Peninsula, and particularly Corcovado, the home to carnivorous species such as the jaguar (Pantera onca) and the puma (Puma concolor), which are the first species to disappear when their habitat is subject to illegal hunting. Other endangered species that are also found in this park are the peccary and the scarlet macaw.