LA Weekly

I'm leaving Saturday to study Spanish for two weeks in Costa Rica. When I'm not in school, I'm planning to spend a lot of time in Manuel Antonio National Park counting monkeys and sloths. I've heard the monkey population is dwindling because, just like so habitat sanctuaries here, the park has become genetically sealed as hotels have popped up around its borders, blocking off migration corridors.

The squirrel and capuchin monkeys will also steal your lunch while you swim; as a result of their thievery and humans' desire to feed them (even though it's illegal), they've been suffering heart problems and high cholesterol.

Still, it oughta be fun. I'm going to see if I can set up an interview or two with Grace Wong, one of the park's wildlife managers, or Jose Salazar, the park's director, about the corridor problem. It's an issue here, and a metaphor everywhere: Healthy wildlands are all about connectivity.

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