Lagarteada - 150 Year Tradition
Each year residents of the community of Ortega in Santa Cruz, Guanacaste celebrate Good Friday an unusual way. They do it by going on a hunt to capture the biggest baddest crocodile they can find. The goal is to capture a reptile of at least 3.5 meters in length. How do they do it? Well, the “lagarteros” trudge through the waters of the Río Charco jabbing long sticks into the muddy bottom to locate the animal. Once they do they “lasso” it and drag it to the river bank, where they will secure the animal for the celebration. José Luis Rodriguez has more than forty years participating in the event, so experience was definitely on the side of the hunters. The croc that was captured during this year’s lagarteada measured three meters and fifty-five centimeters. After the capture the animal will be photographed together with the brave hunters. Then it will be release back into the wild unharmed. Officials from MINAET were on hand to oversee the event and make sure that no harm came to the animal, other than to be quite perturbed to have to participate in this tradition involuntarily. This event has been celebrated by the Guanacastecos of Santa Cruz for the last 150 years. In past days the animal would be sacrificed, but now that the crocs are on the endangered list, care is taken to make sure not a “hair” on the head is damaged.
Tags: crocodile hunt, good friday, lagarteada, santa cruz