The Guanacaste Tourism and Commerce Chamber Association sued the State to demand that the crocodile that attacked a tourist some months back in Tamarindo is relocated.

The complaint was presented to the Contentious Administrative Proceedings Court on October 20 and it stated that “there has been an inaction and omission” by national authorities because they haven’t captured or relocated the crocodile that back in July attacked Arthur Jonathan Becker, an American surfer who in consequence lost his right leg; the attack occurred while he surfed at the Tamarindo beach and apparently a wave dragged him close to the estuary where the crocodile then grabbed him.

The Association claims that this situation is affecting the national and international image of the Tamarindo area and therefore the income from tourism, which is affecting the hotels and commerce in this site.

Lawyer Walter Brenes told national newspaper La Nacion “Tamarindo has lost 70% of the normal visitation since the attack. It is well known that it attacks, he eats the dogs in the area and the locals know of the crocodile”.

The director of the Guanacaste Tourism and Commerce Chamber who presented the lawsuit and is also a surfer made it clear that they are not asking that the crocodile is killed, or that they remove all crocodiles, they simply ask to relocate this one, since “it crossed the line and took a human as prey”.

Back in October 11, the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE) stated in a press release that contrary to what the has been said in the last few months Costa Rica DOES NOT have an overpopulation of crocodiles.

“Studies that have been done from some of the populations in the country show that the populations in the Central and North Pacific have recovered thanks to the conservation politics of the last 20 years, but there is no data that suggests the existence of an overpopulation.”
The reason why there’ve been more encounters among humans, crocodiles and other species is because there is an increase of the human population and the productive activities, affirms the Ministry. It also considers normal that crocodiles are both in fresh water and ocean water and that they use the ocean to mobilize or find food.

“The normal behavior of the crocodiles, like most of the wildlife is to run from the presence of humans, crocodiles attack for defense or when they lose the natural fear to human beings. This happens when their behavior has been modified, for example because people feed them so that tourists can take photographs” they commented.