Costa Rica’s National Assembly voted unanimously to require wildlife crossings on new and existing roads wherever evidence shows a highway threatens animal safety or blocks habitat connectivity. Once signed into law by the president, the measure will bind every future road project — and reopen many existing ones — in a country whose tourism economy depends on the very wildlife its roads have long endangered.
At a glance
- New roads: Every new infrastructure project must build wildlife crossings into planning and budgeting from the start, subject to approval by Costa Rica’s National Environmental Technical Secretariat.
- Existing roads: Highways already in use aren’t exempt — anyone can submit scientific evidence showing a crossing is needed, and the government can require a retrofit.
- Species affected: At least 59 species have already been documented using Costa Rica’s existing wildlife bridges, most often monkeys, sloths, kinkajous, and opossums.
Why warning signs weren’t enough
Costa Rica’s roads have long been lined with bright yellow signs warning drivers of crossing sloths, tapirs, and coatis. Rebecca Cliffe, founder and director of the Sloth Conservation Foundation, says the signs mostly haven’t worked.
“No one’s slowing down when they see those signs,” she told Mongabay, calling them a form of greenwashing. A 2025 study from Brazil backs her up, finding the signage does little to actually change driver behavior.
Why wildlife crossings work
Physical crossings tell a different story. Research compiled by Pew shows that bridges, culverts, tunnels, and ropes for tree-dwelling species measurably cut collisions and reconnect habitat fragmented by roads, protecting animals and the drivers who might otherwise hit them.
Cliffe is now planning a citizen science project, compiling crossing-need data from rescue centers and community reports along Costa Rica’s South Caribbean coast.
The crab problem
Not every crossing looks like a bridge. In some coastal areas, crabs migrate from land to sea each year to lay their eggs, and many are killed along the way.
“When I first came here, 17 years ago, there were so many crabs that you couldn’t drive along the road,” Cliffe said. “Now there’s none.” A tunnel, she said, could help restore safe passage where migrations still happen.
An imperfect fix
The law passed the National Assembly unanimously, but it still needs the president’s signature to take effect, and Costa Rica’s National Environmental Technical Secretariat, not an independent body, will judge whether developers’ crossing plans are sufficient. Whether enforcement matches the law’s ambition remains to be seen.
Costa Rica draws millions of ecotourists each year, and Cliffe says that dependence is exactly why the balance matters. “Coexistence is so important for Costa Rica because it relies so heavily on ecotourism,” she said. “So getting this balance right between development and conservation is essential.”
Read more
For more on this story, see: Mongabay
For more from Good News for Humankind, see:
- Giant pandas downgraded from endangered to vulnerable
- California condors return to nest on Yurok land
- The Good News for Humankind archive on wildlife & land conservation
About this article
- 🤖 This article is AI-generated, based on a framework created by Peter Schulte.
- 🌍 It aims to be inspirational but clear-eyed, accurate, and evidence-based, and grounded in care for the Earth, peace and belonging for all, and human evolution.
- 💬 Leave your notes and suggestions in the comments below — I will do my best to review and implement where appropriate.
- ✉️ One verified piece of good news, one insight from Antihero Project, every weekday morning. Subscribe free.
