TAKE PHOTOS, LEAVE FOOTPRINTS
SCOTT DICKEN
Costa Rica: A Wildlife Loving Paradise Costa Rica accounts for only 0.03% of the earth’s surface, and yet it manages to pack an enormous estimated 4-6% of the world’s biodiversity into its tiny patch of land. It’s for this very reason that most people visiting Costa Rica spend a significant portion of their time
searching for the country’s famed wildlife. If you’re in the minority group of tourists who plan to drink Mai Thais on the beach with your eyes closed, then stop reading now. In this article I’m going to show you how to make the most of your wildlife experience in Costa Rica, and what
you might see on your travels.
Costa Rican Wildlife Costa Rica sits in the top 20 most biodiverse countries on earth and is home to a whopping 500,000 species. Admittedly, 300,000 of those species are insects, but that still leaves a
staggering 200,000 animals for you to discover. While some of those animals are notoriously difficult to sight (our guide in Tortugero hadn’t seen a jaguar in ten years of working there), other species are spotted with more regularity. For example, you stand a great chance of sighting: two and three toed sloths; coatimundis; dolphins; caimans; American crocodiles; monkeys (most notably capuchins and howlers); dart frogs (the tourist ambassador of Costa Rica); toucans; turtles; basilisks and bats. If you’re lucky you might see a tapir or an anteater. If you have a few months or years to spare, and remote survival skills to rival Bear Grylls, then you might (just might) see jaguars, ocelots, pumas, jaguarundi, margays, ocelots, and little spotted cats.
Costa Rica’s Best Wildlife Destinations Just as if you were going on safari in Africa, you’re likely arriving in Costa Rica with a good idea of which animals you’re most excited to see in the wild. I went with the desire to find a sloth that looked like it was smiling (I blame overexposure to YouTube videos). If this is the case, then make sure you do research before you leave and plan your trip around the destinations and National Parks that give you the best chance of sightings. There are an eye-watering number of LEAVE FOOTPRINTS > PAGE 17
16
March 2022
Old Town Crier
