Costa Rican Monkey Interest Group
What is the Costa Rican Monkey Interest Group (CRMIG)?
We are a group of wildlife researchers, caregivers, and professionals working to improve the lives of monkeys in Costa Rica through research, rehabilitation, and advocacy. The CRMIG is chiefly a scientific education and advocacy group started by Dr. Siobhan Speiran– now a postdoctoral visitor at York University –while conducting research with wildlife sanctuaries during her Ph.D.
Why did we start the Costa Rican Monkey Interest Group (CRMIG)?
This group began in response to Siobhan’s empirical investigation of the potential for wildlife sanctuaries in Costa Rica to offer sustainable captive wildlife tourism through a case study of monkeys. This involved developing and trialling a field-based, non-invasive conservation welfare assessment framework at three (of eight) sanctuaries I visited during fieldwork in 2019.
Findings emerged through mixed methods: participant observation, document review, behavioural observation of primates, post-tour surveys of sanctuary tourists, and interviews with key informants and members of the host community.
She learned Costa Rican sanctuaries make trade-offs and hard choices around the nexus of animal welfare, conservation and sustainability. As well, she found promising evidence that some sanctuaries provide positive animal welfare and conservation outcomes for involved species.
Mission
We encourage knowledge-sharing and collaboration to enhance wildlife management practices and ethics of human-primate interactions in wildlife tourism and rehabilitation.
- Improve the lives of monkeys in Costa Rica
- Transparent wildlife tourism & rehabilitation
- Seek evidenced & care-full best practice
Approach
Our transdisciplinary approach aims to connect primate researchers, caregivers, and practitioners from Costa Rica and abroad around a common mission to improve the lives of primates in captivity in sanctuaries and rescue centres.
- Transdisciplinary & collaborative
- Centre local & multispecies interests
- Scientific activism & communication
Team
Our membership comprises international and local conservation practitioners, wildlife tourism operators, researchers, and wildlife veterinarians– representing multiple sanctuaries, NGOs, and institutions across Costa Rica and abroad.
- In-country & international membership
- Connecting experts & practitioners
- Animals & sanctuaries as research partners