The manatee, an endangered species, has become a national symbol of Costa Rica thanks to the initiative of children.
Yes, it was the children of the school in the Caribbean region of "Limoncito" (little lemon) who took the initiative of presenting the authorities with a project to make this large aquatic mammal a national symbol in 2014.
It all began when the children at this school on Costa Rica's Atlantic coast were preparing a science project. They discovered that the manatee (also known as the Manati) was an endangered species. This is due to the destruction of their natural habitat by pollution, hunting and their slow reproduction. A female Manati can have one young at a time, and only every 4 years,
The project was presented to the French National Assembly and the manatee became a representative species of our country when the deputies voted unanimously in favor of protecting their natural habitat.
There are very few manatees left or Trichechus Manatus (scientific name) in the world. Today, it is increasingly difficult to see them, but in Costa Rica they are still present in Tortuguero, in the San Juan river in the north and in the south of the country near the border with Panama in Gandoca and Manzanillo.
The manatee is a large mammal with a snowshoe-shaped tail and extremities. It is also known as a sea cow, because of its large size. An adult Manati can reach 600 kilos and 3 meters in length.
For many indigenous American cultures, the Manati is sacred and features in legends. In Costa Rica, the history of the Bribri people tells of a being called Manati or Naitli, who had the tail of a marine lobster instead of legs. It was Sibo, God of the Bribri people, who sent him to live in the river mouths.
However, for some natives the Naitly is considered dangerous, and can even be hunted as it provides vital protein for their subsistence.
Later in history, various chronicles of adventurers who came to the New World describe a huge animal, which is hunted, and has a highly prized meat. The inhabitants eat this red meat raw, smoked or sun-dried.
What's more, in Costa Rica, Manati skin is used to make leather handicrafts, which are more highly prized than those made from Tapir skin.
A school initiative
It all began when the children at this school on Costa Rica's Atlantic coast were preparing a science project. They discovered that the manatee (also known as the Manati) was an endangered species. This is due to the destruction of their natural habitat by pollution, hunting and their slow reproduction. A female Manati can have one young at a time, and only every 4 years,
The project was presented to the French National Assembly and the manatee became a representative species of our country when the deputies voted unanimously in favor of protecting their natural habitat.
There are very few manatees left or Trichechus Manatus (scientific name) in the world. Today, it is increasingly difficult to see them, but in Costa Rica they are still present in Tortuguero, in the San Juan river in the north and in the south of the country near the border with Panama in Gandoca and Manzanillo.
The manatee
The manatee is a large mammal with a snowshoe-shaped tail and extremities. It is also known as a sea cow, because of its large size. An adult Manati can reach 600 kilos and 3 meters in length.
For many indigenous American cultures, the Manati is sacred and features in legends. In Costa Rica, the history of the Bribri people tells of a being called Manati or Naitli, who had the tail of a marine lobster instead of legs. It was Sibo, God of the Bribri people, who sent him to live in the river mouths.
However, for some natives the Naitly is considered dangerous, and can even be hunted as it provides vital protein for their subsistence.
Later in history, various chronicles of adventurers who came to the New World describe a huge animal, which is hunted, and has a highly prized meat. The inhabitants eat this red meat raw, smoked or sun-dried.
What's more, in Costa Rica, Manati skin is used to make leather handicrafts, which are more highly prized than those made from Tapir skin.
