This Baby Monkey Didn't Make It

We will never forget you, Eliza. After coming across this 2020 clip in our archives, we wanted to share her story and shine a light on the crisis facing howler monkeys and other wildlife in Costa Rica. Eliza was just four months old, battling injuries after exposed power cables took her mother from her and left her with severe burns. Urban development and a lack of insulation are driving this crisis. As habitats become more fragmented, animals can mistake power lines for tree branches and try to use them to cross from one area to another, often with devastating consequences. When she arrived at our center on 23 December 2019, it was clear she was badly hurt. But with electrocution cases, the worst injuries are not always the ones you can see. As well as severe burns, Eliza had internal damage to her liver, kidneys and lungs. She fought for months, and we did everything we could for her, but her injuries were too severe. Eliza was with us until 9 September 2020. Her story really stayed with us, and losing her brought great sadness across the center. Because not all electrocution injuries are visible. And for too many wild animals, the suffering does not end with the initial shock.