Costa rica’s supreme court mandates wildlife protection from deadly power lines after landmark ruling

Costa Rica’s Constitutional Court has issued a groundbreaking ruling requiring government agencies and the national electricity utility to take immediate action protecting wildlife from deadly power line electrocutions. The landmark decision, stemming from a case in the Nosara region of northwestern Costa Rica, could strengthen wildlife protections nationwide and serves as a model for other countries facing similar challenges.

The lawsuit was brought by law firm Alta Legal representing a coalition of environmental NGOs, who argued that local electrical infrastructure violated existing laws requiring adequate wildlife safeguards. The problem is particularly acute in rural areas, where bare electrical wiring, exposed cables, poor maintenance, and inadequate insulation around transformers create deadly hazards for tree-dwelling animals like sloths, monkeys, and birds.

Howler monkeys have been especially hard hit by electrocutions in the Nosara region. According to Elena Kukovica from the International Animal Rescue Center, one of the plaintiff organizations, mother howler monkeys are frequently killed on power lines, leaving their babies orphaned or dead. Male troop leaders also suffer high mortality rates, which disrupts the species’ complex social hierarchy and breeding patterns.

Costa Rican veterinarian Francisco Sánchez Murillo, who provided expert testimony for the case, emphasized that inadequate electrical infrastructure poses a widespread threat to the country’s rich biodiversity. The court’s decision now forces authorities to address these preventable deaths through improved power line design, better insulation, and enhanced maintenance protocols—potentially saving thousands of animals across Costa Rica’s diverse ecosystems.