The Limits of Sustainable Development with Vicki Coan of Sibu Wildlife Sanctuary

Trailblazer Interview with Vicki Coan, the Director and Founder of Sibu Wildlife Sanctuary in Nosara, Costa Rica, on September 6, 2022

Sibu Wildlife Sanctuary is a sanctuary in Nosara, Costa Rica, specializing in lifetime care for wildlife that cannot survive in the wild. Sibu works to improve injured animals' lives through specialized care to improve their movement and quality of life. 

Hi Vicki, nice to meet you. Tell me about the sanctuary. What got you started in this work?

A few months after relocating to Costa Rica in 2000, a baby howler monkey was placed in my care. I realized these monkeys were little children of the jungle as they reflected feelings and emotions seen in young children. My background was in education and focused on early childhood development, so this resonated deeply with me.

I began to see the horrific electrocutions of monkeys on exposed, uninsulated electrical lines. Since there were no wildlife vets, rescue centers, or wildlife sanctuaries in the area, I had to take action. 

How did you start the sanctuary?

Sibu Wildlife Sanctuary is a grassroots project. Due to the immediate need for urgent action, there was no time to raise capital. I invested personal funds to purchase property and build the infrastructure: a 110-meter well to supply water, an electrical transformer, and insulated power lines. I am constantly looking for ways to improve habitats and create the most natural environment for wildlife. 

What are the primary challenges that you are facing? 

The challenges are numerous. Costa Rica is a global leader in sustainability, with over 98% of the energy generated by renewables. Even though the energy sources are primarily sustainable, the methods used to deliver the power are not. Power lines and transformers need to be insulated or buried underground. Costa Rica could be a leader in the world by doing much more to protect the native wildlife.

Sibu Wildlife Sanctuary advocates for these issues, working with the electrical companies to locate and insulate electrocution hotspots, hiring professional tree trimmers, building bridges, and educating the community.

For the sanctuary, the main issue is consistent funding to cover the operating costs of providing quality lifetime care and rehabilitation for the animals. Rising prices in Costa Rica and the increased need for staffing have increased monthly operating expenses for the sanctuary. Sibu Wildlife Sanctuary receives no government funding and is currently at risk of closure without financial backing. Donations to Sibu Wildlife Sanctuary are eligible for a tax deduction in the US through our fiscal sponsor, Amigos of Costa Rica. Taking action starts with individuals and small communities. Hopefully, our work will inspire others and ultimately have a more significant impact on the world. 

How is development impacting your operations?

Since the pandemic, construction and deforestation in the Nosara area have escalated. Due to this, clear-cutting of the pristine jungle is a regular sight. Even though there are laws to protect specific trees, the government doesn't have the finances and staff to enforce them. 

The trees are essential for the native mantled howler monkeys, who can travel up to 750 meters daily. The trees are the monkeys’ highway, home, and food source. Logging destroys the monkeys’ corridors and pathways, forcing them to find other alternatives, such as dangerous power lines and roads. 

What is one of the most pressing issues you are currently facing? 

Here at the sanctuary, it feels like we're becoming an isolated part of the jungle. We see encroachment from construction, and there is no government mandate to insulate electrical lines. Developers want to deregulate national reserves to create luxury housing projects. If this continues in the current fashion, habitat loss, noise pollution, and human encroachment will cause wildlife to leave the area.

Right now, we need to find someone to purchase the 306-acre property bordering Sibu Wildlife Sanctuary. This property is on the market for planned development. Our biggest goal is to find someone to place this land into private conservation for reforestation. 

All four species of primates found in Costa Rica are currently on the IUCN red list as either Endangered or Vulnerable. Howler monkeys are currently listed as vulnerable. However, if the rate of development continues without regard for connectivity and habitat preservation, this will accelerate the loss. 

What would help you the most? 

We hope that Costa Rica will recognize the loss of habitat and species and introduce a mandate requiring all new transformers and electrical lines to be adequately insulated and allocating funds to prevent deforestation.

If the electrical companies cannot afford to provide the materials for protection, this financial responsibility should sit with the property developer/owner. Since I began Sibu Wildlife Sanctuary, long-term research studies, petitions, and lawsuits haven't brought about the needed change. 

What we most want to see is an organization that solely focuses on tackling these particular issues with national and international conservation standards and takes action. We need a vehicle for real change.

What gives you faith to overcome these challenges and to keep fighting? 

If even one person sees our work, is inspired, and spreads the message, I see that as a success. You never know where that seed can land. That sustains my hope. 

I am in a fortunate position to observe the wild monkeys passing through the jungle canopy above the sanctuary. I see the wild moms raising their babies, I watch the juveniles learn and play with each other, and I watch the generations grow older. I witness their feelings towards one another and their curiosity about everything they encounter. They share the same deep emotions as us, from anger to love, fear to confidence, depression to joy. I have hope because I live alongside these monkeys.

We must be the voice for those that cannot speak.

Who has inspired you?

I find Jane Goodall's work to be a significant inspiration. The way she connects people with the environment inspires action.   

How do you prioritize all of your projects and responsibilities?

The animals and their needs come first. Providing financial security for the sanctuary is next. Then I back down from there. If Sibu Wildlife Sanctuary had the funding of a corporation or foundation that could support us financially for even a year, that would be monumental. With funding, we could focus entirely on the more significant issues. We could dedicate more time to education, preservation, and conservation.

What do you think would most affect our relationship with the environment? 

There needs to be more care, understanding, and respect for the environment. We are one strand, a single part of the earth's ecosystem. We are nowhere near the top of the chain because all life is interconnected. The earth flourishes in a delicate balance that, when disrupted, creates a loss felt everywhere. 

I hope the next generation can still experience nature's gifts, from the sweet smell of flowers to the grandeur of ancient trees. We must preserve in our children the wonderment that nature gives us. That means nurturing our connection to the environment. If we lose that part of ourselves, no technology will help us. I hope that the younger generation is very adamant with any government so we can keep the incredible earth that we live on as healthy as possible for as long as possible. 

I hope my story inspires others to act - especially children. You don't have to create a sanctuary or do what I do. But, if you could plant a tree and other plants, help an injured animal, volunteer at a shelter, help any young person who might be down and need guidance, or help older people with caregiving, we create more caring. When we stand united for the welfare and preservation of the earth, we can see change.

We need people to advocate for an environmentally-conscious direction here and abroad. It comes down to politics and inspiring more people to vote for legislators and politicians to take on environmental issues. That is how we move from the frontlines of caring for monkeys to introducing systematic change that will keep this area environmentally diverse and ultimately economically and ecologically sustainable. 

Thank you for your time, Vicki. How can we best support you?

You can donate or find out more about our work on our website or symbolically adopt a monkey, tell more people about our work, or contact me directly to get more involved in our critical projects. 

Photography courtesy of Sibu Wildlife Sanctuary