Venezuela Sloth Rescue Exposes Wildlife Electrocution Crisis

Rescuers in Venezuela recently saved a sloth trapped on electrical lines, a scene that played out on social media and drew attention to a wider problem plaguing wildlife in the region. The animal, clinging to high-voltage wires in an urban area, faced certain death from electrocution. Teams from the Chuwie Rescue Center in Miranda State …

Costa Rica Lawmakers Push Bill for Guaranteed Public Beach Access

A push to keep Costa Rica’s beaches open to everyone took a step forward last week when a legislative committee approved a bill requiring at least three public entry points for each coastal area. The measure, now headed to the full Assembly for debate, targets barriers that have quietly restricted access despite beaches being public …

Costa Rica OIJ Arrests Human Trafficking Ring Exploiting Minors

The Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ) dismantled a gang dedicated to human trafficking for the sexual exploitation of minors after carrying out 19 simultaneous raids in different parts of the country, mainly in Heredia and Guanacaste. According to OIJ Director General Randall Zúñiga, the main targets of the operation were located in Playas del Coco and …

Costa Rica’s Liberia Airport Fixes Runway Issues Overnight

Contractors began repairs on the runway at Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport this week, focusing on sections that did not meet required standards after a major overhaul earlier this year. The work, set to last 15 days, runs only at night to keep flights moving without delays. The General Directorate of Civil Aviation confirmed the …

What Camera Traps Miss Chasing jaguars in Costa Rica

Five years ago, I began my journey using camera traps in wildlife monitoring projects in Costa Rica. A few years after that I began submitting wildlife articles to The Tico Times. I rely on my camera traps successfully recording Costa Rica’s abundant biodiversity as fuel for writing my articles. A few nicely framed videos of …

Costa Rica Monitors Caribbean Tropical Wave with 70% Storm Chance

Those who live along the Caribbean coast know all too well how quickly weather can turn in October. Right now, the Instituto Meteorológico Nacional (IMN) tracks a tropical wave in the central Caribbean Sea that holds a 70 percent shot at becoming a tropical storm by week’s end. If it does, it earns the name …

Bolivia Elects Center-Right Leader Amid Crisis

Bolivians on Sunday elected a pro-business center-right senator as their new president, ending two decades of socialist rule that have left the South American nation deep in economic crisis. With 97 percent of ballots counted, Rodrigo Paz had 54.5 percent of the vote compared to 45.4 percent for his rival, right-wing former interim president Jorge …

How to Grow Broccoli Successfully in Costa Rica’s Highlands

In Costa Rica’s cooler highland regions, home gardeners harvest fresh broccoli that brings a distinct flavor to everyday meals. This vegetable packs vitamins A, C, E, and K, along with niacin, calcium, iron, and potassium. Research points to its potential role in fighting cancer through natural compounds. For those at elevations of 1,000 meters or …

Costa Rica’s Blue Carpet event unites Leaders for Ocean Innovation and Tourism

On Friday, the Costa Rican Fishing Federation (FECOP) held the second edition of La Alfombra Azul, an event created to celebrate innovation, science, and sustainability related to the ocean and recreational and sport fishing. The event took place at the Costa Rica Marriott Hacienda Belén Hotel and brought together nearly 300 national and international leaders …

Trump Says He Will End US Aid to Colombia as Tensions Spike

United States President Donald Trump on Sunday accused his Colombian counterpart, Gustavo Petro, of tolerating drug production and announced he would end “large-scale payments and subsidies” to the South American country. Relations between the two nations, historically allies, hit a new low with the arrival in power of the Republican and Colombia’s first leftist president. …