No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeArchiveMONKEY FEEDING IS ETHICALLY CRIMINAL

MONKEY FEEDING IS ETHICALLY CRIMINAL

Dear Tico Times:

As many enlightened people know, in all the world the mono titi (squirrel monkey) exists only in Manuel Antonio, in Costa Rica’s central Pacific coast, and is threatened with extinction.

One of the surest ways to speed extinction is for humans to give these monkeys food, upsetting their natural diet of insects, fruits, nectar, bird eggs, lizards and bats.

Manuel Antonio’s resounding motto is “do not feed the monkeys!”

Yet an unknown number of Manuel Antonio hotels and restaurants have installed and maintain artificial feeders to lure the monkeys as a “service” to their customers. While sitting at these hotels and restaurants, tourists are “guaranteed” the pleasure of seeing monkeys come to feed, enhancing the tourist experience.

However, this causes a change in the animals’ natural behavior and exposes both the animals and people to contagious diseases.

The practice of using artificial feeders is ethically criminal.

These hotels and restaurants should be identified and a cross-and-bones flag hoisted on each, to warn off ethical tourists. Spotting monkeys in these places is nothing more than a trained monkey hurdy-gurdy-type of experience.

RICHARD FROST

Quepos

 

Trending Now

Costa Rica and Panama Seek Gold Cup Glory Against North American Giants

With no Caribbean teams advancing, a Central American contingent made up of Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras, and Guatemala heads into the quarterfinals of the...

Chiquita Brands Leaves Panama Amid Protests, Talks Underway to Resume

Laid-off workers from the U.S.-based banana company Chiquita Brands said on Monday that they are hoping for the company’s return to Panama, after it...

Protests Rise Over Panama Canal’s New Water Project

Panama’s President José Raúl Mulino on Tuesday defended the construction of a new reservoir for the interoceanic canal and criticized those who oppose the...

Fishing, Wildlife, and History in Costa Rica’s Barra del Colorado

Costa Rica’s Barra del Colorado is a magical and charming town. It’s one of the country’s hidden gems, best known for its world-class sport...

Costa Rica Identified as Key Maritime Route for Cocaine Trafficking

Costa Rica appears among the main maritime and aerial routes for cocaine trafficking between South and North America, according to the World Drug Report 2025 published...

Alligator Alcatraz: Trump’s Everglades Migrant Camp Draws Protests and Criticism

US President Donald Trump toured a new Florida migrant detention center dubbed "Alligator Alcatraz" on Tuesday, boasting about the harsh conditions and joking that...
Avatar
spot_img
Costa Rica Tours
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica