Thousands of parrots, monkeys, iguanas, toucans, turtles and other rain forest animals are kept as exotic pets in Costa Rica, a practice putting some species at risk, according to experts.
Biologists consider the protected area a perfect location between the northern and southern hemispheres for the birth of new generations of marine mammals and other species.
With the discovery of the new plant there are now 52 known species of passion flowers native to Costa Rica. It is the first new species of passion flower discovered in the last 11 years.
Bat expert Richard LaVal has been researching bats, including the consequences of climate change in Monteverde for nearly 40 years. At 77, he isn't interested in slowing down but instead has turned his attention to educating Costa Ricans as well as visitors from abroad.
Costa Rican conservation officials often receive calls from local farmers that sound something like this: “They killed two of my calves. Come trap this cat.”
With it's publication in the official government newspaper La Gaceta, Costa Rica's dog-fighting ban went into effect last week. The new law clarifies dog fighting as a criminal offense and imposes stricter penalties on those caught organizing fighting rings.
One year has passed since 26-year-old sea turtle conservationist Jairo Mora was murdered on Moín Beach, but little has changed for the beach's turtles or those who try to protect them.
Said to hold 4 percent of the world's biodiversity, the Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica's southwest is known as a hotspot for animal encounters. But this week area residents spotted an animal they had never seen before: a sea lion.
