In several areas of our country, the electrical power grid and infrastructure pose a serious danger to monkeys, sloths, martillas and other arboreal creatures that either suffer tragic deaths or crippling injuries. According to two organizations dedicated to raising awareness and finding solutions to these grim situations, the statistics are ghastly.

Nosara Wildlife Rescue explains that hundreds of electrocuted monkeys were reported to local rescue groups in the years 2008 and 2009, which probably means that the number of annual cases are in the thousands. Salve Monos in Playa Hermosa in Guanacaste keeps a Facebook page dedicated to reporting monkey electrocutions. Looking at the posted reports from community members on Salve Monos’ Facebook wall, complete with graphic post-mortem photos of a howler mother and baby, one can count about a dozen tragic primate electrocutions in 2012 alone.

The problem can be described as a matter of exerting First World demands on a Third World country. The areas where the electrocutions are happening are outside of our protected areas. Playa Hermosa and Playa Nosara are still pristine, but they have developed very rapidly in the last few years. New real estate projects to accommodate the influx of new residents in former remote and desolate areas are going up as you read this.

The Nosara Wildlife Rescue explains in its call to action letter (PDF) that:

“Costa Rica lost half its monkey population in the 12-year period between 1995 and 2007.”

The figure above coincides with the dot-com and housing bubbles in the United States, and a period of strong foreign investment, tourism and economic growth in Costa Rica. Accordingly,

“[…] escalating commercial and real estate development, and the ongoing expansion of the electrical grid has intensified the problem.”

Monkeys are electrocuted when they form a circuit between parallel power lines, or when the branches and vines of the trees tat form part of the monkeys’ habitats grow out and touch a high voltage line or a transformer. Electrocutions are either lethal or horribly crippling.

The groups involved in preventing electrocutions call for the following measures to be implemented by the electrical utilities as the country is pushed further into development:

• Burying all lines and transformers
• Shielding and insulating all high tension lines
• Installing bridges that monkeys and other arboreal species can use to move around while avoiding power lines
• Keeping branches and vines away from live power lines and transformers

As it is usually the case when First World demands cause problems in Third World countries, putting an end to the cruel electrocutions of monkeys will come at a significant cost, and to this extent the work of the two groups mentioned herein is very admirable, but they need a lot of help.

While burial of lines and transformers is a very sensible solution, it may not be feasible in all areas where aquifers are prominent and protected. Would there be any impact to the biomass beneath? How much would it cost, and who would pay for it?

Could the treetop community at Finca Bellavista in the Osa Peninsula face the same problem in the future as it grows? Should the government exercise eminent domain and move in to protect the affected regions?

The most recent electrocution reported by Salve Monos on its Facebook wall is dated March 21^st. Here’s the narrative:

“We had been hearing rumors that a monkey had been electrocuted on the road near Pescado Loco and El Velero Hotel, finally today we were able to verify the story. Sad but true the monkey is still attached to the wires at the transformer. There has also been another monkey shocked nearby that is thought to have survived. Also last week two more monkeys were shocked at the first road on the first beach entrance. They both after a time were able to get up, it is not known if they survived. Another problem, we don’t know how many get up, go into the trees and die later.”

The posting end with a photograph and a warning:

“The photo is graphic but we don’t know how else to get help from the power companies. Please spread the word.”