Unregulated Human development is impacting wildlife through habitat fragmentation and the installation of unsafe electrical distribution equipment. The main victims of electrocutions are howler monkeys. Howler monkeys and other arboreal wildlife often resort to using the overhead power cables as aerial runways to make their way between fragmented areas of habitat. The cables provide an efficient, but lethal, way for the monkeys to travel through the urbanized forest. All too often, the monkeys suffer from horrific injuries and violent deaths when climbing or traveling on uninsulated power cables and transformers. In addition to the treacherous electric cables, tree loss due to development forces animals to travel on the ground. This is extremely dangerous for howler monkeys as they cannot move quickly on the ground and would rarely naturally leave the safety of the tree canopy. This puts them at risk from traffic accidents and dog attacks.
The most common injuries are severe electrical burns, loss of limbs and critical internal organ damage. The prognosis for electrocuted monkeys is not good. External wounds may be treated, however, the internal damage can be very serious and slower to manifest. The mantled howler monkey is enlisted as an endangered species because of their susceptibility to electrocution.
Where the electrocution victims do survive, they enter into a wildlife rescue center like Refuge for Wildlife for a long rehabilitation process. For an infant, this means hand rearing until the monkey is weaned, has learned to climb, to socialize and to become ‘wild’. Eventually, after 2-3 years, if the animals demonstrate the skills needed to survive in the wild, they can be released as a troop into a safe area of forest.
Although laws exist and should serve to protect the environment, biodiversity, habitat and wildlife from the adverse effects of development, they are either ineffective or not properly enforced. It is still common to see new electrical installations without mandatory protection. As a result, wildlife rescue centers have been forced to employ local wildlife protection strategies, which are dedicated to preventing electrocutions.
The economic cost of wildlife electrocutions to the various rescue centers around Costa Rica is significant. The cost of veterinary care, rehabilitation, release and sanctuary facilities is hundreds of thousands of dollars.
International Animal Rescue Costa Rica in Nosara has 20 years of experience rescuing and rehabilitating electrocuted howler monkeys and has implemented local prevention strategies under the ‘Stop the Shocks’ Program. This program prevents deadly electrocutions by combining tree trimming (to prevent wildlife accessing the power lines), installing rope bridges to provide safe aerial pathways and fundraising to purchase insulation equipment to cover live transformers.
AABLA is supporting wildlife rescue centers with small equipment to help the wildlife patients in their care, but is also assisting in prevention of injury. Making a donation to install a monkey bridge is a drop in the bucket.
Join our support in the prevention of wildlife injuries and make a direct donation to ‘Stop the Shocks’ program.