Of course many of us come here for wildlife and Costa Rica wildlife is fascinating: one of my favourites is the Kinkajou. To spot a Kinkajou in Costa Rica you’ll probably need a torch or a night full of moonshine. Kinkajou’s are usually nocturnal and live in dense rainforest in the hollows of trees.
But having said that we have seen a Kinkajou or two at Geckoes and hear them very often, at least a few times per week. They make a noise that sounds like this: weeep, weeep whoop. So although there may be many deep in the rainforest, they can also be seen in more inhabited spots. One evening, sitting outside at a local restaurant in Puerto Viejo I heard a scrabble in the tree next to me and there was a kinkajou eyeing my pasta.
Kinkajous are gorgeously fluffy bear like. They look adorable with their big eyes, small round ears and as if they would be very nice to cuddle! Also known as Honey Bears and in Spanish as Martillas or Martas. Apparently they love honey, hence the Honey Bear nickname. They are pretty docile and not averse to taking a tasty flower from your hand, but they can be skittish so any fast movement should be avoided, as then they may panic and bite.
With their long tongues, they eat fruits, flowers, licking the nectar or sometimes eating the entire flower and add insects and bird eggs to their diet when possible.
They are sometimes known also as the Night Monkey also they are no relation to the monkey species. The name could have come about because they have very flexible knees and ankles that can rotate 180 degrees, so are ace tree climbers like monkeys.
So, when in Costa Rica you hear a ‘weep, weep, whoop’, take a look up into the trees and see if you can spot the gorgeous Kinkajou.
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