Costa Rica's Tortuguero Ocelot Sets Longevity Record, Capuchins Master AI Touchscreen

Scientists monitoring wildlife in Costa Rica's Parque Nacional Tortuguero recorded a female ocelot, identified as F02, that lived at least 14 years in the wild—far longer than the typical 7‑10 year lifespan. The decade‑long camera‑trap study documented the cat’s repeated pregnancies and highlighted the park’s stable habitat, while also noting the first confirmed 41‑kilometre movement of a male ocelot between Tortuguero and the Reserva Natural Pacuare.

In a separate study at the Taboga Forest Reserve, researchers from Emory University and the Georgia Institute of Technology installed an artificial‑intelligence touchscreen system called CapuchinAI. Sixteen wild white‑faced capuchin monkeys learned to operate the device, receiving dried banana rewards. The system uses facial‑recognition software to identify individuals such as the male Trompudo with 97 % accuracy, offering a new method for large‑scale cognitive experiments with free‑ranging primates.