Abstract
The Monkey Bridge Project began in 2006 in order to minimize the influence of habitat fragmentation due to urban development within primate ranges in the Caribe Sur region of Costa Rica. The majority of research has focused on evaluating the effectiveness of artificial crossing structures (i.e., wildlife bridges) and natural canopy crossings in a peri-urban landscape for reducing mortality risks in nonhuman primates. In addition, this study used an ethnoprimatological approach to examine sociocultural drivers of habitat fragmentation and their impacts on nonhuman primates. Results show that although roads and power lines represent a major risk, primates rarely used artificial crossings. Other mammals, however, commonly used these structures. Furthermore, a rise in the number of natural canopy bridges occurred over 9 years and preliminary findings suggest that monkeys may favor natural canopy crossings. These simple “corridors” have the potential to complement larger habitat preservation efforts in the region and contribute to the broader goals of connecting habitat fragments and growing synergistic relationships between human and nonhuman primates in the Caribe Sur.
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Acknowledgements
I would like to thank the República de Costa Rica and the Ministerio de Ambiente y Energía, especially MINAE’s Earl Junier Wade and Jorge Arturo Gonzales, for research authorization. My collaborators at ICE, including Bladimir Perez Chaves, Victor Castro Rivas, and Danilo Corea Madrigal provided essential support for evaluating the wildlife bridges. Many wonderful individuals assisted in the research process and I’d like to highlight the hard work and vital contributions of Rachel Kilian, Kelley Littlefield, Brian Gomila, and Giselle Narvaez. In addition, valuable field assistance was provided by Pablo Venegas Vargas, Braulio Vanegas Rojas, Simone Bryan, Ulises Villalobos Flores, Jair Diaz Villalobos, Jorge, Benito, Philippe Vangoidsenhoven, and the students of the DANTA primate behavior and conservation field school. The following individuals generously offered their support and encouragement for this project, including Pamela Carpenter, Christina Orr, Erik Otárola-Castillo, Christopher Schafer, Julie Hill, Alaine Berg, Encar and the late Sandro Alviani, Pepo Montsant and Sonia, Bill McLarney, Israel Mesen Rubi, Jill Pruetz, the late Jerilyn Jewett Smith, Kimberly Dingess, Jennifer Rice, Robert Horwich, Patrick Hossay, Mike Humphrey, Aurelio Curbelo, Lois Long, Lori Ledeboer, David Lindshield, Lori McKinney, and Daniel McKinney. Funding was provided by Margot Marsh Biodiversity Foundation, International Primatological Society, American Society of Primatologists, Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad, Topeka Zoological Park, Northwest Primate Conservation Society, Riverbanks Zoological Park, CertainTeed Corporation, and by private, small donations. Finally, I thank Michel Waller for helpful suggestions to improve this manuscript, and for the kind invitation to participate in this important volume that advances the field of ethnoprimatology.
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Lindshield, S.M. (2016). Protecting Nonhuman Primates in Peri-Urban Environments: A Case Study of Neotropical Monkeys, Corridor Ecology, and Coastal Economy in the Caribe Sur of Costa Rica. In: Waller, M. (eds) Ethnoprimatology. Developments in Primatology: Progress and Prospects. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-30469-4_19
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