Most of the electric power lines in Costa Rica are aerial and are constructed without protective insulation. They are a threat of electrocution for any living being that has contact with them. An alarming number of animals are killed by electrocution every day in Costa Rica. About 70% are sloths and monkeys, and the rest include kinkajous, opossums, birds, and reptiles. The small number of animals that survive electrocution can have very serious injuries and life-threatening burns that usually result in death. The Jaguar Rescue Center is dedicated to helping these injured animals, and we celebrate every animal we save.

The Jaguar Rescue Center has been collaborating for more than ten years with ICE (Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad), the government-run company that manages the state electricity system. The main achievement of this partnership is the creation of a map of all the power lines from Hone Creek to Manzanillo, as well as the branches that go up to the mountain. This map documents the lines and transformers that have been isolated up to now and those that are still to be completed.

The JRC has been paying an electrical engineer specialist for years to do the monitoring in the field, and the data is always up to date.

With this information, and our database of accidents with wild animals, ICE is able to prioritize the actions to be carried out.

Our ultimate goal is to change state regulations and make it mandatory that new power lines will be insulated when they are installed. SETENA is the organization that supervises the environmental impact of any kind of development in Costa Rica. At the moment, all of our efforts made before SETENA have been unsuccessful.

Here is what we have accomplished since the Shock Free Zone was created.

• The insulation of 6.450 secondary lines and 24 transformers.
• The creation of 15 aerial wildlife bridges, which are used by countless animals every day so they don't have to cross the road.
• And finally, the insulation of 11 installations on poles for high voltage lines.

In 2022, JRC closed the year with 64 animals coming to the center due to electrocution. This was the highest number since we opened in 2008. The number increases every year because of the destruction of their natural habitat. You can keep helping us in our goal to prevent the electrocution of Costa Rica's remarkable animals by donating to the Shock Free Zone.