Documentary Highlights Costa Rica Community's Shift from Hunting to Protecting Wildlife

A new documentary titled 'Living with Pumas and Tapirs,' produced by BirdnWild, highlights a significant conservation success story in Rincón de San Josecito, a rural community on Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula. The film documents the transformation of local residents from hunters who relied on wildlife for survival to protectors of iconic species like pumas and Baird’s tapirs. This shift was driven by the arrival of ecotourism, which provided alternative income through guiding and conservation work, fostering a unique peaceful coexistence between humans and large mammals. Despite this progress, the model remains fragile, illustrated by the recent killing of a young puma in a neighboring area lacking similar conservation culture. To address this, BirdnWild and the Corcovado Foundation are fundraising $82,000 to expand environmental education and train local guides. The project aims to replicate this community-led conservation model across the Osa Peninsula, demonstrating that wildlife holds greater economic value alive than hunted, thereby strengthening regional conservation corridors and creating sustainable local jobs.