| If you're heading for a vacation rental home near | | | | disease for which monkeys have no immunity. |
| Manuel Antonio National Park in Costa Rica, you're in | | | | 2. Feeding monkeys makes them more aggressive |
| for an incredible nature adventure. In addition to | | | | toward humans as they grow to view humans as a |
| iguanas, toucans, coatimundis and more, there are 3 | | | | source of food. In one instance two tourist women |
| species of monkeys indigenous to the park | | | | were trying to enter the gate of their vacation rental |
| Manuel Antonio National Park | | | | home with a bag of souvenirs. A capuchin monkey |
| When the park boundaries were established in 1972 no | | | | mistook the contents of the bag for food. He stood on |
| one bothered to tell the Howler, Red-backed squirrel | | | | the gate repeatedly snatching at the bag denying them |
| and Capuchin monkeys, so they continued to follow | | | | entrance to the property for several minutes. This is |
| their established foraging routes beyond the park limits. | | | | not a common occurrence - yet. |
| Not all but many of Manuel Antonio's vacation rental | | | | 3. Feeding the monkeys makes them dependent upon |
| homes are located within these natural foraging routes | | | | humans and reduces their chance of survival in the |
| known locally as the "Monkey Corridor." However, | | | | wild. As more monkeys view humans as a source of |
| staying in one of these vacation rental homes carries | | | | food their behavior will evolve, their routes will change, |
| with it a big responsibility. It may seem cute, funny or | | | | and they will seek out humans for "fast food meals." |
| thrilling to hand feed the monkeys, yet it's extremely | | | | So, not only weren't the monkeys told about the |
| damaging to them in many ways. | | | | change in the park boundaries, they weren't informed |
| | | | being fed by humans is bad for them. The monkeys |
| 1. Because humans and monkeys are related primates, | | | | don't know any better but now you do. Be a |
| monkeys are highly susceptible to human bacteria and | | | | responsible primate and please don't feed the |
| diseases, especially when transferred by hand feeding. | | | | monkeys. Stay tuned for Part 2. |
| You don't even have to be sick to communicate a | | | | |