rangifer2014

As a wildlife biologist I can't describe how thrilled I am to see Herzog be so into this book. It's not a popular book by any stretch, even within my sphere, but it's absolutely incredible and the people who know of it tend to really sing its praises. In my life I haven't actually met anyone in person who had even heard of it.

Have you been surprised at the image most people have of Costa Rica vs the reality? The popular parks are in good shape, but there is still illegal hunting and logging going on in many protected areas, farmers use harsh chemicals with no regard for the health of themselves or local waterways, and the vast majority of Ticos see the jungle only as a place to make money via ecotourism like it doesn't have inherent benefits or interest on its own. It's still pretty good compared to many other Central and South American countries, but there's still a ton of work to be done. Where I live (Cordillera Tilarán) everyone knows who the local poachers are, they show up on my game cameras, but the MINAE staff is so overstretched that the chance of them actually catching a poacher in the act is near-zero, so the poachers go on as they please.

The issues you mention regarding poachers and minae I think comes down to lack of funding, political issues and the difficulty in prosecuting someone even if caught. I have also seen this in the area that I work in and I hope this will change in the future.

Me too. We had a jaguar on one of our game cameras after 6 years of camera trapping and I'd love to share it with the village but the chance that one of the poachers would get word of it and try to track it down and kill it is too great. I hope one of them will get caught at some point just to set an example.

Is there a line that you're particularly proud of?

Jerky Boys 3 was fucking amazing. "My ass looks like ricotta cheese in a plastic bag if you know what I'm sayin", and the entire 1-800-Hows-My-Driving call were some of my favorites. "The fuckin' dog'll be nippin' at me in a little while with these fuckin' legs the way they are"... I don't know how you came up with some of that stuff on the spot, but it's honestly some of the funniest stuff ever put to tape.