When it comes to biodiversity and ecology, Costa Rica is an incredible country. It contains over 5% of the planet’s biodiversity, making it home to over 500,000 species such as sloths, macaws, monkeys and much more. It also has a global reputation as a leader in environmental protection and comprehensive wildlife protection laws. In 1998, the Costa Rican government implemented the Biodiversity Act, which promotes respect for all forms of life, includes traditional knowledge in its concept of biodiversity and promotes sustainable use of natural resources.

Wild fauna in Costa Rica is a public domain asset protected by the State; it’s seen as a national concern and the responsibility of all Costa Ricans to watch over its right handling, use and preservation. However, selfies and photos involving direct contact with wild animals put this at major risk. A 2017 study published by World Animal Protection found Costa Rica was 7th in the world in terms of pictures and selfies in direct contact with wildlife, which is dangerous for humans and has terrible consequences for animals.

As pioneers in biodiversity preservation, here’s what Costa Rica has done to tackle the problem.

Lotso, a baby two-toed sloth at Rescue Center Costa Rica who will be re-released to the wild. Photo taken from a distance

The problem with animal selfies

The 2017 close up on cruelty report, reported that there’d been a 292% increase in the number of wildlife selfies uploaded to Instagram between 2014 and 2017. More than 40% of those were ‘bad selfies’ which picture someone hugging, holding or inappropriately interacting with a wild animal.

This trend has led to major exploitation of animals that belong in the wild, but are routinely stolen from their natural habitats, forced to live in noisy and unnatural environments and endure a life of being passed between tourists for photos. Many animals don’t survive for long periods in these conditions. Sometimes babies are taken from their mothers (with the mothers also sometimes killed), which puts wild populations at risk. Sloths are particularly vulnerable; their facial markings give the impression that they’re always smiling, hiding the real stress beneath the surface and the disruption of natural habitats. Not only are these animals cruelly captured, but many are manipulated for selfies (one legitimate rescue centre I spoke to in Costa Rica spoke of seeing animals chained to posts unable to move at all). The tourist selfie industry has led to growth in the illegal capture of wild animals, making more animals endure terrible conditions and putting ecology at risk.  

Thor, a two-toed sloth at Rescue Center Costa Rica who will be re-released to the wild. Photo taken from a distance

In Costa Rica, keeping a wild animal in captivity is illegal, alongside feeding animals in the wild. The law also stipulates that wildlife rescue centres must be nonprofit and closed to the public, with tourists only able to visit for environmental education purposes only.

Unfortunately, multiple tourist sites still allow visitors to hold or have direct contact with wild animals for selfies. Many of those offering wildlife photos have stolen these animals from the wild, building an industry of animal tourism which is extremely dangerous and distressing for animals that should be free to live in peace. Interactions offered include hugging, petting, and feeding the animals, all of which are incredibly risky as scared animals could bite or scratch the people holding them, which also poses major risks to human health.

Ecotourism is a major source of income for Costa Rica, but people must enjoy visiting these habitats and seeing animals in their natural homes from a safe distance, as well as protecting animals and ecosystems for generations to come. The Costa Rican tourism model is designed to create meaningful experiences that also help visitors become more aware of environmental issues and adopt more sustainable practices. Animals must be observed respectfully and from a distance in their natural habitats. If an animal is in captivity (for example a rescue centre), its management must be as similar as possible to its habitat, meaning it can hide or move away from observers if it wants to.

A key part of this, is not taking selfies with animals and not providing opportunities for this to happen. In recent years the Costa Rican Government created the #stopanimalselfies campaign to raise awareness of the negative impact of selfies and photos that involve direct contact with wild animals, aiming to prevent cruelty and raise awareness of the risks these photos create.

Ricky, a baby two-toed sloth at Rescue Center Costa Rica who will be re-released to the wild. Photo taken from a distance

What to do instead

A ‘bad’ wildlife selfie is an image or post in which a wild animal is being held, touched, restrained or baited for the purpose of being a photo prop.

A ‘good’ wildlife selfie is where any image or post of a wild animal in which there was no direct human contact and the animal was not being restrained or in captivity to be used as a photo prop.

Remember: if you can hug, hold or take a photo with a wild animal, it’s cruel. 

Instead of selfies people are encouraged to:

• Stay at a safe distance from the animal.
• Observe calmly, quietly, and respectfully.
• Respect the animal’s natural behaviours.
• Refrain from entering cages or enclosures, as these provide a barrier that protects people from direct contact with the animal.
• Book wildlife observation experiences with a responsible travel operator.

And to not:

• Touch, grab or hug the animal.
• Offer the animal food.
• Attempt to catch or chase the animal to be closer to it or have direct contact with it.
• Make noises, whistle, throw objects or knock on the barrier to have the animal move or wake up.

At the end of the day, appreciating the wonder of the natural world shouldn’t mean that we as humans get to dominate or manipulate other ecosystems or animals. We can still appreciate, take photos and enjoy wonderful creatures without expecting them to perform on cue for us. This isn’t what nature is about, it isn’t respectful and it isn’t a perspective that sees the world protected for all to flourish in future.

I hope more countries and people around the world learn from Costa Rica’s campaign, and that we work to protect animals in their natural environments, enjoying and appreciating them interacting with the world around them, which we are lucky to witness.