14 DAY TRIAL // On Monday, Costa Rica's environment minister announced that a volunteer looking to protect wildlife in Costa Rica's San Jose Province had recently been stabbed in the groin by a poacher.
Information shared with the public says that the incident occurred last Thursday. At that time, the volunteer was out on patrol. He was accompanied by a wildlife ranger, sources say.
The two reportedly ran into a group of poachers who were busy stealing turtle eggs in order to sell them on the black market, and seized one of the dogs the illegal hunters had with them.
Apparently, this really annoyed the poachers.
Hence their deciding to throw stones at the ranger and the volunteer. At one point, one of the poachers pulled a knife and stabbed the volunteer. Luckily, he survived the attack.
Apparently, it did not take long for the assailant to be brought to a local police station. However, he was soon allowed to go on his way, supposedly for lack of evidence.
Conservationists argue that this just goes to prove that police officers in Costa Rica are being bribed by poachers, and thus made to turn a blind eye to crimes committed against both wildlife and the environment.