Publicação
The impact of Costa Rica’s electrical grid on wildlife mortality : a case series of electrocution incidents and mitigation strategies
| Resumo: | ABSTRACT - Several species of Costa Rican wildlife, particularly arboreal mammals such as sloths and monkeys, face significant electrocution risks due to increasing reduction, fragmentation, and overlap between anthropic landscapes of urban environments and wildlife territories, and inadequately designed and non-insulated electrical infrastructures. Costa Rica's primary distribution lines run alongside roads and through landscapes, carrying voltages exceeding 14,000 volts, creating an ongoing hazard. Electrocution occurs when animals come into contact with two active electrical cables simultaneously, resulting in potentially fatal thermoelectrical injuries, cellular damage, and vascular alterations. This study, conducted at the Jaguar Rescue Center and Sanctuary in Costa Rica from October 2023 to January 2024, assessed the frequency and impacts of wildlife electrocutions, and proposes mitigation strategies for these incidents. Animals hospitalized due to electrocution underwent a detailed physical examination. Pathophysiological changes, therapeutic outcomes, and necropsy findings were recorded and analyzed to identify patterns and improve future clinical approaches. The ten cases discussed illustrate the varied outcomes of electrocution injuries, highlighting that the extent of visible injuries does not always correlate with the severity of internal damage or long-term prognosis. Electrocutions occurred without seasonal significant variations. The mortality rates of three-toed sloths (Bradypus variegatus) and birds were higher than other species. The fatality rate of howler monkeys (Alouatta palliata) was very high. The injuries analyzed ranged from mild burns to severe tissue carbonization. Laboratory results disclosed relevant metabolic disturbances, including hypernatremia, hyperkalemia, and hyperalbuminemia, as well as high levels of alanine aminotransferase and blood urea nitrogen, that further worsened the prognosis. These results emphasize the risk that electrocutions pose to biodiversity in Costa Rica. Effective risk mitigation strategies should include insulating power lines, installing wildlife protection devices, and improving electrical infrastructure to reduce the incidence of the electrocutions |
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| Autores principais: | Ferreira, Rita de Aroeira Medeiros |
| Assunto: | Wildlife Electrocution Costa Rica Thermoelectrical injuries Mitigation strategies Animais selvagens Eletrocussão Costa Rica Lesões termoelétricas Estratégias de mitigação |
| Ano: | 2025 |
| País: | Portugal |
| Tipo de documento: | dissertação de mestrado |
| Tipo de acesso: | acesso aberto |
| Instituição associada: | Universidade de Lisboa |
| Idioma: | inglês |
| Origem: | Repositório da Universidade de Lisboa |
| Resumo: | ABSTRACT - Several species of Costa Rican wildlife, particularly arboreal mammals such as sloths and monkeys, face significant electrocution risks due to increasing reduction, fragmentation, and overlap between anthropic landscapes of urban environments and wildlife territories, and inadequately designed and non-insulated electrical infrastructures. Costa Rica's primary distribution lines run alongside roads and through landscapes, carrying voltages exceeding 14,000 volts, creating an ongoing hazard. Electrocution occurs when animals come into contact with two active electrical cables simultaneously, resulting in potentially fatal thermoelectrical injuries, cellular damage, and vascular alterations. This study, conducted at the Jaguar Rescue Center and Sanctuary in Costa Rica from October 2023 to January 2024, assessed the frequency and impacts of wildlife electrocutions, and proposes mitigation strategies for these incidents. Animals hospitalized due to electrocution underwent a detailed physical examination. Pathophysiological changes, therapeutic outcomes, and necropsy findings were recorded and analyzed to identify patterns and improve future clinical approaches. The ten cases discussed illustrate the varied outcomes of electrocution injuries, highlighting that the extent of visible injuries does not always correlate with the severity of internal damage or long-term prognosis. Electrocutions occurred without seasonal significant variations. The mortality rates of three-toed sloths (Bradypus variegatus) and birds were higher than other species. The fatality rate of howler monkeys (Alouatta palliata) was very high. The injuries analyzed ranged from mild burns to severe tissue carbonization. Laboratory results disclosed relevant metabolic disturbances, including hypernatremia, hyperkalemia, and hyperalbuminemia, as well as high levels of alanine aminotransferase and blood urea nitrogen, that further worsened the prognosis. These results emphasize the risk that electrocutions pose to biodiversity in Costa Rica. Effective risk mitigation strategies should include insulating power lines, installing wildlife protection devices, and improving electrical infrastructure to reduce the incidence of the electrocutions |
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