Sloths, Squirrel Monkeys, and Scarlet Macaws in Costa Rica...

As my husband and I have been traveling around Costa Rica, like homeless gypsy wanderers, we have witnessed many things that will forever be seared into our memories. Monkeys and sloths crossing the road, 6-foot pit vipers trying to kill us, a pod of 300 dolphins surrounding our boat, tourists being robbed by a pack of rambunctious raccoons, 30 mammoth crocodiles piled up on the shore of a river, spiders the size of our heads…I could go on and on.


The animal encounters we get to witness are mind-blowing. The diversity of the wildlife in this country truly is remarkable and we rarely have to leave our house to meet a new animal. A few days ago I was once again reminded of the incredible animals that exist in this portion of the country, as I had three up-close, lifetime bucket list experiences, within a 24-hour-period.


My 24-hours of Costa Rican ecstasy began with a bumpy afternoon beach drive on our favorite beach: Playa Linda. The roads in Costa Rica are a special kind of horrible, but this is not always a bad thing. The potholes and multiple river crossings force you to slow down and enjoy the scenery. Creeping along at 5mph, as Andy dodges potholes with his expert driving skills, I happen to notice a large, furry blob clinging to a palm tree. We pull over and admire an adult sloth in the midst of an afternoon slumber.
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Sloths are only found in Central and South America, so it is a treat to see one in the wild. Although there are many sloths in Costa Rica, they can be hard to spot as they rarely move and have impressive camouflage. We are lucky to spot one with our bare eyes, this has only happened to us a handful of times in our travels around this country. Seeing a sloth in an animal rescue center is one thing, but seeing one in the wild is a majestic and humbling reminder that Mother Nature is one spectacular broad.

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Still riding my sloth high from the day before, I greet the next morning as the cloud forest rolls through our valley of jungle, with my steaming mug of potent Costa Rican coffee. Just as I take my first sip I hear a ferocious racket in the sky. 16 rare Scarlet Macaws, who mate for life, are doing a fly-by of their favorite tree. Like a gang, they shriek and holler at the family of green Mealy parrots inhabiting their perch, letting them know who is boss of this wall of jungle.
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Scarlet Macaws only exist in a few small sections of this country, and we are lucky enough to live in one of these areas. We have witnessed a family of 9 flying by before, but seeing 16 at one time is truly a spectacular and unique event, even for this part of Costa Rica.


Just when I think it cannot get better, a troop of 50 rare squirrel monkeys invade our yard without warning. They trickle in, swarming the trees like an undercover squat team, and begin to fly through our treetops. Squirrel monkeys are the smallest monkeys in Costa Rica, they are about the size of a squirrel and typically weight only 1.5 pounds. Here is a video I caught of them crossing through our own personal monkey highway:
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Squirrel monkeys in Costa Rica: MONKEY CROSSING!


​The chirping squirrel monkeys swarm the foliage, jumping from branch to branch, squeaking back and forth to each other, as they forage the trees for birds nests to raid.
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​A family of Fiery-billed Aracari Toucans keeps a close watch on their competitors. This squirrel monkey family is their direct competition for food, as they both feed on eggs and nestlings of smaller birds.
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​Suddenly there is a dramatic commotion in the trees, and an aggressive squirrel monkey confronts a toucan. They are similar in size and have an intense standoff over a nest. The monkey is squeaking aggressively while the toucan tries to stand his ground…but the  monkey wins and violently shoves the toucan out of the tree. Sadly I did not get the monkey/toucan fight on video, but was able to capture this video of the pair right before their confrontation:


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Squirrel monkey and a Toucan sharing a tree in Costa Rica


These 24 hours of incredible animal encounters will always be a part of me, an event I can revisit time and time again in my mind. A napping beach sloth, 16 scarlet macaws soaring overhead, and a troop of 50 squirrel monkeys passing through the monkey highway in our yard, pausing only to shove a toucan out of a tree. I truly don't know of another place on the planet where these 3 phenomenal experiences can happen in the wild, within a 24-hour-period.


​We are so blessed to live in such a place. Pura Vida. Peace. Gracias. OneLove. Namaste. And Audios Bitchachos.
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