The power lines that run through Costa Rica are hazardous to the animals that live there, especially the monkeys. The number of wildlife electrocuted is going up because of more development and more overlap between human places and natural animal habitats. This has a big effect on efforts to protect heritage. Only this year, 24 animals of different species (mostly sloths and monkeys) arrived electrocuted at the center from January 2024 to the end of April.

Most of the electric power lines in Costa Rica are aerial and are constructed without protective insulation. They are a threat of electrocution for any living being that has contact with them.shockfreezone, wildlife, enviromentaleducation, costarica, biodiversity,, jaguarrescuecenter, rescuecenter, monkeys, sloths, electrocutions

To prevent animals from being electrocuted, we have our program Shock-Free Zone, which we have run in collaboration with the Grupo ICE (Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad) for the past 12 years.

Arrived with severe burns, this anteater came to the center after she got electrocuted trying to climb the power lines.

We are proud to announce that this week the JRC and ICE closed an agreement for the Shock Free Zone campaign. Together we have developed a map of the Caribe Sur area with the powerlines that are already insulated and the ones that aren’t. Our goal is to make every powerline in this map safe for the wild animals.