Tracie See Monkey Do Theyâ€™re intelligent, inquisitive, and
adaptable. Costa Rican monkeys are finding unexpected ways to
live in an environment increasingly altered by human activity.
Tracie McKinney observes monkeys in Costa Rica's Curu Wildlife
Reserve. By providing fruits and leafy vegetables on tree
platforms, McKinney's team can determine whether Howler monkeys
accept (or shy away from) human-provided food. Kira, a spider
monkey at the rehabilitation facility, Curu Reserve, Costa Rica.
Kira was raised as a pet in a hotel where she was trained to
hold the hands of tourists. Photos by Jim Metzner. Tracie
McKinney is a doctoral candidate at Ohio State Universityâ€™s
department of anthropology. She leads teams of Earthwatch
volunteers through Costa Ricaâ€™s Curu Wildlife Reserve, where
they observe White-faced Capuchin and Mantled Howler monkeys.
McKinney is investigating how human encroachment affects these
animals by studying them in both disturbed and undisturbed
habitats. â€śBoth of these species are r