No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeTopicsTravel and TourismCrocodile warning signs in Costa Rica have decreased encounters with tourists

Crocodile warning signs in Costa Rica have decreased encounters with tourists

Costa Rica’s Central Pacific Conservation Area (ACOPAC) has seen a decrease by up to 90 percent in complaints related to tourists feeding or approaching crocodiles, the Environment Ministry’s National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC) reported this week. SINAC officials in February began placing signs warning tourists that feeding crocodiles is prohibited. The signs also list cautionary measures for observing wildlife in publicly accessible areas.

Puntarenas province is one of the most popular destinations for tourists, with many beaches and protected areas including Carara and Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica’s most visited national park and beach. It also is a popular spot for watching crocodiles in their natural habitat. Thousands of tourists on their way to Pacific destinations stop to watch the crocodiles, mostly at ​​the bridge over the Tárcoles River and at the river’s dock at Azul beach.

ACOPAC Director of Wildlife Protection Adrián Arce Arias said many people who come to watch also feed the crocodiles to cause fights over food. “Some business owners here even used to sell tourists pieces of raw chicken or beef tied to a rope, and that affected local residents because crocodiles became accustomed to approaching humans for food,” he said.

This caused several incidents of crocodiles entering private property and tourists dangerously approaching crocodiles to feed them. According to Arce, the number of complaints by locals about tourists feeding or approaching crocodiles has substantially decreased since the signs were placed. He said he has received similar reports from other SINAC officials in conservation areas where warnings are placed.

“We have a WhatsApp group, and we periodically report about these incidents in the province. So far this year we only have received two reports of crocodiles in populated areas: one at Jacó beach and the other near the Puntarenas dock. We haven’t received any reports about attacks,” Arce said.

He said sightings are normal, particularly during mating season that runs from July to November. “[Crocodile] sightings have been reported in other months as well, and we believe changes caused by El Niño are confusing them,” he said. SINAC this week reported that it will continue placing warning signs in other areas of Puntarenas province, such as Quepos and Caldera.

The agency reported that local residents are now more receptive to the campaigns. Before, they opposed the signs, believing they would drive tourists away. Earlier this year two crocodile-related incidents were reported: one in the province of Guanacaste and the other in Alajuela.

Crocodile warning signs in Costa Rica
(Courtesy of Adrián Arce Arias)

Trending Now

Costa Rica Hunts for Nicaraguan Hit Squad After Exile’s Assassination

Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ) is investigating whether a hit squad tied to Nicaragua’s Ortega-Murillo regime is targeting exiled critics on its soil....

U.S. – Guatemala Security Pact Targets Crime and Helps Returning Migrants

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem signed a border security cooperation agreement with Guatemala on Thursday, which includes the use of drones and...

Costa Rica’s Pride 2025 Closing Event Bans Minors, Sparks Outrage

Costa Rica’s Pride 2025 closing event, set for June 29 at San José’s Plaza de la Democracia, was thrown into controversy when the government...

Panama Regains Control of Bocas del Toro After Violent Protests

Panama’s government has regained control of Bocas del Toro province after months of violent anti-government protests sparked by pension reforms, officials announced. The unrest,...

Former Costa Rican Minister Arrested for Drug Trafficking, Faces U.S. Extradition

Costa Rica’s judicial police arrested Celso Gamboa, a former security minister and Supreme Court judge, on Monday, following a U.S. request for his extradition...

Costa Rica’s Cutris Mining Bill Threatens Massive Environmental Damage

Costa Rica’s government is pushing a controversial bill that could open the entire Cutris district in San Carlos—848 square kilometers—to open-pit gold mining. The...
L. Arias
L. Arias
Reporter | The Tico Times |
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