23rd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Wildlife
Howler Monkey in the Costa Rican Canopy

A group of howler monkeys was moving through the thick canopy on the Osa Peninsula on Costa Rica's Pacific coast. Howlers are one of four species of monkeys in Costa Rica and all four species are found on the Osa Peninsula. This howler was effortlessly scaling the vertical branch when he briefly paused where these two branches intersected. His gaze upward before he continued to climb caught the light and is strikingly human.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 07.2024
Date Uploaded: 12.2025
Photo Location: Puerto Jimenez, Costa Rica
Copyright: © Charles DeFrance