Our newest animal rescue is baby Franceska. She is a very young howler monkey whose mother was recently electrocuted on an uninsulated eletric line in Delicias on the Nicoya Peninsula of Costa Rica. The baby's instinct is to hold onto her mother as long as she possibly can, even though she was probably already dead. Nearby residents spotted the gruesome site and called Rainsong Wildlife Sanctuary. We quickly sent out a rescue team that was met by the electric company to rescue the baby monkey.
Franceska is still in a very fearful state and trying to get used to her surrroundings, but she is eating well and has adapted to her life in the rescue center. She has quickly become friends with Doodles and Evee, the other baby howler monkeys and enjoys regular human contact, care and nutrition.
Until recently, most power lines in this area were not insulated a frightening number of arboreal mammal species (monkeys, kinkajous, sloths) were being electrocuted due to this lack of insulation. Costa Rica lost half of its monkey population in the 12-year period between 1995 and 2007 (http://www.nosarawildlife.com/call%20to%20action.pdf).
Immediate action to resolve this problem is needed now. Fortunately, a few areas of the Nicoya Peninsula have begun to install insulation on the power lines, but similar action is needed in all areas to save the existing monkey population.
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