Harpy Eagle Returns to Costa Rica

It is always amazing when a bird sighting makes media headlines.  Like when the mandarin duck decided to make a Central Park pond his stomping grounds. A media sensation occurred in Costa Rica when.a harpy eagle (Harpia harpyja), one of the world's largest eagles was sighted and photographed in the Osa pennisula of northern Costa Rica. Decades of conservation and rewilding have made the return of the greatest rainforest hunter possible. A harpy had not been spotted there in almost two decades, and was thought to be locally extirpated. Forests that covered 75% of the land in the 1940s disappeared in an onlaught of development, agriculture and mining that reduced the coverage to only 20% But Ticos--Costa Ricans call themselves this nickname--worked hard to reverse the trend, and by the 1980s forest coverage had increased by 150%.

The protected region of the Osa, starting with Corcovado National Park in 1975, has transformed into a "mini-Amazon basin" that attracts ecotourists from all over the world offering locals more economic opportunity and influx of money. Once poaching was put under control, the wildlife began to recover too. Collared pecary, ocelot and tapir--once confined to within the park's protective boundaries have begun to expand their range. Although jaguar and white lipped peccary numbers have not increased dramatically, at least they are not declining. One species that did not make it is the giant anteater. The last known giant anteater was recorded around 2005. It is probably that the sighting of the eagle was fortunate. It was probably a stray from the Indio Maiz Biological Reserve in Nicaragua, a 3000km² reserve near the border. [photo credit: A. Loria]

Wildlife advocates say it may be time to re-introduce species that have disappeared from Costa Rica such as the anteater to restore the balance of Nature lost during the period of exploitation of natural resources. Reintroduction of major species has many beneficial effects on a degraded ecosystem. The reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone NP in the mid-90's demonstrated these effects. Ticos have demonstrated a strong committment to protecting Nature and their fellow forest dwellers. Inhabitants living on the borders of Corcovado National Park have taken to protecting white-lipped pecaries--jaguar's favorite prey--instead of hunting them to extinction. Re-wilding has been identified as a key tool in meeting 2030 global biodiversity targets. Argentina is leading the trend towards re-wilding. Whole communities of animals once decimated are being returned to its national parks. Costa Rica has already begun protecting its wildlife. Its sixty beaches are now patrolled to prevent the poach of sea turtle eggs. Efforts to protect sea turtles that nest on these beaches have likely contributed to a world-wide increase in the population of many sea turtle species. The similar effort is being made to increase scarlet macaw numbers with captive breeding and rehabilation facilities.

The Osa Pennisula, with its 80% tree cover, community support, and a eco-tourism economy is a good place to begin a re-wilding program in earnest. White-lipped pecaries from Corcovado could be resettled in Pedras Blancas to incerase their resiliance and provide more food for jaguars. Even a few giant anteaters could be relocated to Costa Rica's "mini-Amazon". Then the formidable harpys might take up permanent residence.