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Howler Monkeys

Nosara, Costa Rica
Frequency
Amount
Could help buy hot water bottles for the infant howlers.
Could go towards our continued efforts to insulate the transformers in Norsara.
Could help provide ongoing enrichment to keep the monkeys active.
Amount
Could buy the the monkeys some healing burn cream to soothe their wounds.
Could buy enrichment for the howler enclosures.
Could help pay for the expert veterinarian treatment our injured howlers receive.

Project Introduction

Every year hundreds of howler monkeys and other wild animals in Costa Rica are electrocuted on uninsulated power lines and transformers. In fact, electrocution is the number one killer of howler monkeys in Costa Rica.

Most electrocutions occur in rural areas. Sadly, the monkeys don’t know the difference between electrical wires and natural vines and will often travel across wires to get to feeding grounds. This is a particularly serious issue in areas of deforestation where monkeys have no choice but to travel on the wires.

A monkey only has to touch two live wires to be electrocuted. However, the main problem is caused by the high voltage electrical transformers attached to the wires. The monkeys travel along the wires in search of food but eventually have to cross a transformer to reach the wire on the other side. The transformers are extremely dangerous - many parts of them can deliver a deadly jolt of electricity to anything that touches them. Tragically, the monkeys don’t sense the danger until it’s too late. The shock is incredibly painful and causes horrific burns and often muscular spasms so the monkey can’t let go and sometimes even catches fire.  Even worse, when a member of the troop cries out in pain, the rest of the troop will rush to help, often leading to several family members being electrocuted and dying.

Most of the howler monkeys that survive electrical burns are infants that were clinging to their mothers when they were electrocuted. The mother absorbs most of the current while the babies suffer burns on their hands, tail and any other body part in direct contact with her. Some are lucky enough to escape with only minor burns.

A wild howler monkey relaxing on a power line
A group of howler monkeys at the centre

A Brief History...

Prior to IAR commencing work in Nosara, Costa Rica in 2017, a wonderful project known as ‘Refuge For Wildlife’ had been operating for almost 20 years. This project was started by Brenda Bombard who recognized the need to help and protect orphaned infant howler monkeys that were victims of electrocution.

Brenda’s passion and perseverance over so many years is remarkable; she dedicated her life (and her home!) to protecting wildlife.  When IAR met Brenda there was an instant synergy, given IAR’s experience of rescue, rehab and release in other parts of the world.

Brenda was keen to see the project progress in a sustainable manner and recognized the need for a new wildlife rescue center to maximize the chances of survival for the rehabilitated animals. IAR was able to bring veterinary expertise and funding to complement the work that Brenda and the Refuge For Wildlife team were doing. In 2020 the project transitioned to the new IAR Costa Rica foundation, where Brenda still supports the team from the board.

Finally, in late 2023, the dream was realized and the whole program was able to move to the brand-new purpose-built Sir Michael Uren Wildlife Rescue & Education Center in Nosara.

Fran working on an iguana in the clinic
brenda

Our work

Rescue

IAR Costa Rica’s emergency response team of staff and volunteers have the experience and expertise to rescue monkeys from transformers and electrical wires using specialist equipment.

The babies are often badly burnt and traumatised by the death of their mothers. They are given round the clock treatment and care in the centre’s clinic. The vet and the rest of the team are experienced in dealing with electrical burns which sometimes require the amputation of decaying limbs and parts of tails. However, usually the best treatment is thorough cleaning of the wounds, pain relief, antibiotics and silver sulfadiazine burn cream. The infant howlers cope extraordinarily well with disabilities and, thanks to the team’s expertise, usually recover with little to no scarring.

A howler monkey clinging to a power line
A group of howlers hanging out on a tyre

Rehabilitation

Adult animals that need ongoing care are quarantined for a period of time before being moved to outdoor enclosures where they continue to be monitored and receive medical evaluation. As soon as they are deemed fit enough, adult animals are returned to the jungle, while infant howler monkeys and other young animals are raised in the centre’s nursery until they are ready to move to outdoor enclosures at about 10-12 months old. 

The aim is to create new family groups in preparation for the animals’ return to the wild.

Release

The goal for every animal that arrives at IAR Costa Rica is to return it to the jungle as quickly as possible. At the age of 16-24 months a newly formed family of young monkeys will be transferred to a release centre to begin their reintroduction. This stage of the process usually takes another 18-24 months. 

Other young animals and birds are released in areas identified as the best for them to survive and to thrive.

In future we are aiming to expand the release programme and also planning to set up post-release monitoring. 

Stop the Shocks

Electrocutions are a country-wide problem but most wildlife deaths from electrocution occur in rural areas like Nosara.

​Thanks to the collaborative efforts of our Stop the Shocks programme and ICE, the local electrical service provider, most of the wires in the Playas de Nosara area were replaced with insulated cables many years ago. All this hard work means that today monkeys in the area can travel safely along many kilometres of electrical wire.

However, there are still many areas where uninsulated wires are a problem.

As well as rescuing and rehabilitating sick and injured wildlife, the Stop the Shocks Committee is dedicated to raising funds to purchase and install wildlife protection equipment. 

Insulating a transformer in Costa Rica
Insulating a transformer in Costa Rica
  • Top Howler Monkey Facts

    • Howler monkeys are considered to be among the Earth’s loudest animals and are the loudest of all monkeys.
    • They call to let others know where their territory is, alerting them to stay away. The calls sound like a loud whooping bark or roar. After one group of howlers calls, another group answers. Howler monkeys usually do this in the morning and at the end of the day.
    • These monkeys are New World monkeys which live in Central and South America. At home in the forest, they hardly ever leave the treetops. They don’t move very far each day, feeding in a leisurely fashion at the very top of the forest canopy. Howlers mainly eat leaves, as well as fruits, nuts, and flowers. They get almost all the water they need from the food they eat. One of the few times they can be spotted on the ground, however, is during very dry spells when they need to find extra water.
    • Howler monkeys have prehensile tails, or tails that can grip. The monkeys use their tails as a fifth limb to grip branches. Mostly they use their tails to help grip branches as they eat and move around high in the trees. Each family group is generally made up of 15 to 20 howlers. The leader is usually an old male.
    • Female howlers have their first babies before age four. Pregnancy lasts six months. Most births are for one baby at a time. Like humans, howlers have babies at any time of year.
    • Mothers take great care of their young. These babies grow very fast. Mothers take care of them for the first year, giving them all of the food, love and learning they need to survive on their own.
    • At about one year old, young howlers must leave their troop. They get driven from the group to find a new one. During this period, the young howlers explore the forest and look for another troop to accept them and take them in.
    • Howler Monkey Population: Scientists consider howler monkeys not threatened as a species. However, continuing habitat loss could cause this to change at any time. Overall, about 100,000 howlers of all subspecies remain in the wild.