Something nice, I hope! Since coming to Costa Rica I had heard stories from friends, neighbors and strangers about caimans, a subfamily of alligators, that inhabit the local rivers around here. I was told that they look like “baby” crocodiles and won’t hurt you. Someone even told me you can pick them up and put them back in the river if you find them in your yard. Not sure I would want to try that trick. Anyway, I finally got to see these little guys in action while on a canoe trip at Aviarios del Caribe, a privately operated wildlife refuge (see related “sloth” story). We were trying to get a closer look at a colorful bird by the river’s edge, and apparently spooked it – just in time. The bird flew off and at the same time a well-disguised caiman snapped its jaw in anticipation of a little afternoon snack. It took us several minutes to spot him in the water – only his eyeballs were showing above water. A little farther downstream we spotted another, slightly larger caiman, this one sunning himself in the reeds.
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