The Costa Rica News (TCRN) – Tortuguero National Park, the National Wildlife Refuge Barra del Colorado, and La Amistad Conservation Area in the Caribbean are preferred sites for the location of manatees in the Costa Rica.
This emerges from a study by the United Nations Program for Development (UNDP), the Trichechus Foundation and the National System of Conservation Areas (Sinac). This analysis began in November last year and ended last January.
“It was determined that there was a presence not previously reported in all of these areas, which was important as it had always been thought that their favorite place was Tortuguero. With the new records, surveys and field studies show them all the way up to the Puerto Viejo and Cahuita,” said Damian Martinez, project coordinator Consolidation of Marine Protected Areas.
Manatees are the largest mammals found in Costa Rica, up to 3.5 meters in length and weighing up to 1,000 kg.
“What is striking is that we are rediscovering or beginning to see new sites where the species is expanding. You have to check them to see where they move and if they are young”, added the specialist, “This was the first stage, with the idea that together with communities, we can determine the best conservation that can be provided to the area.”
For his part, he warned of the threat of motor boats that travel at high speed that can hit the manatees causing injury, including the young, which translates into an even lower rate of reproduction in a species that only has a baby every three years on average. Because of this, immediate action must be taken to ensure their conservation.
The Costa Rica News (TCRN)
San Jose Costa Rica
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