Costa Rica's Historic Sport Hunting Ban: An Inspiring Wildlife Success

Article content Back in 2012, Costa Rica made history by completely banning sport and trophy hunting inside its borders. The country transformed the recreational hunting of wild animals into a punishable offense, taking a positive stance for wildlife protection. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY. Subscribe now to access this story and more: Unlimited access to the website and app Exclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcasts Full access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES. Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience. Unlimited access to the website and app Exclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcasts Full access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists Register to unlock more articles. Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience. Access additional stories every month Share your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting community Get email updates from your favourite authors Sign In or Create an Account Email Address or Article content It’s not like that in many parts of the world. I think that’s why I was captivated by Keriann McGoogan’s look at primate field studies and the women who shaped the discipline. They include Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, Birutė Galdikas and Alison Jolly. Article content Article content Article content Since the 1970s, the science of primatology has been dominated by women – that’s an unusual reversal because men usually outnumber women in science, technology, engineering, and math. Article content Part memoir, part history, Sisters of the Jungle: The Trailblazing Women Who Shaped the Study of Wild Primates takes readers along with the women who took the lead. Article content McGoogan’s own journey has taken her to Belize and Madagascar studying wild primates, including howler monkeys (which are the loudest living primates) and lemurs (the most endangered group of animals on the planet). Against this backdrop, she explores the stories of the women who came before her. Article content These intrepid scientists broke boundaries, made astonishing discoveries and ultimately shaped the trajectory of an entire branch of science. Article content A Canadian, McGoogan eagerly delved into what draws women to study wild primates. Article content Article content Article content Goodall, who died last year, visited Acadia University in 2019 when she was 85 years old. If you’d never heard of Goodall, I remember thinking you might be forgiven for labelling her a sweet elderly woman. But that wasn’t why every seat in Festival Theatre was filled that afternoon. Article content Read More Article content The famed primatologist was traveling 300 days a year then with several key messages to deliver. As a child, she’d made her first scientific observations to learn how hens lay eggs. Article content The first book to impress Goodall was Tarzan of the Apes. She began to obsess about going to Africa to study the continent’s wild animals. Years later, her dream came true when she became a secretary to world-renowned Kenyan archaeologist Louis Leakey. Article content Although she had no scientific training, he took her under his wing. Goodall immersed herself in a study of the animal she calls most like us – the chimpanzee.