Silencing the Coquí. Silencing the People.

A brief overview of the intentional killings of the Coquí by tourist in Puerto Rico

A recent controversy in Puerto Rico has ignited widespread outrage after reports surfaced of tourists—primarily white visitors—allegedly using pesticides to silence the island’s iconic coquí frogs.

The coquí, a tiny amphibian endemic to Puerto Rico, is renowned for its distinctive nighttime call and holds deep cultural significance for Puerto Ricans. The incident began with a Reddit post - shared in a forum with over 750,000 members dedicated to tourism in Puerto Rico - in which a tourist in San Juan’s Condado neighborhood recounted overhearing another couple discussing the use of a spray to quiet the frogs at their Airbnb. The poster sought advice on the product used, expressing annoyance at the frogs’ nocturnal croaking.

The Reddit thread quickly went viral, sparking a wave of indignation among Puerto Ricans and environmental advocates. Many viewed the tourists’ actions as a blatant disregard for the island’s natural heritage and an example of the broader issues of over-tourism and cultural insensitivity. Social media platforms were flooded with comments condemning the behavior, with users emphasizing the coquí’s protected status and its role as a symbol of Puerto Rican identity.

Prominent Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny responded to the controversy by posting an Instagram Story featuring the amplified croak of a coquí over a slowed version of his song “Qué Le Pasó a Hawaii.” The post was interpreted as a critique of the environmental and cultural degradation caused by over-tourism and foreign investment in Puerto Rico. Bad Bunny’s subtle yet poignant message emphasized the need to respect and preserve the island’s natural and cultural heritage .

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A post shared by @hip_latina

The coquí, Eleutherodactylus coqui, is not just a beloved national symbol but also a species facing environmental threats. Out of the 17 known species of coquí in Puerto Rico, three have already gone extinct, and four are currently endangered. Climate change poses a significant risk to their survival, making any additional threats, such as the use of harmful chemicals, particularly concerning.

Threats to this fragile frog are legion: herbicides, urban and industrial development, a racetrack, toxic substances leaching from a city dump, and a natural gas pipeline in the offing — the Vía Verde pipeline — just to name a few. In 2009, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced that Endangered Species Act protection may be warranted — and in 2012, after a settlement with the Center moving this frog and 756 other species toward protection, the agency finally protected the frog as endangered, as well as designating critical habitat. (Center for Biological Diversity)

Environmentalists and scientists have also weighed in on the issue. Rafael Joglar, a herpetologist at the University of Puerto Rico, warned that disrupting the coquí’s call can interfere with their mating and territorial behaviors, potentially impacting their reproduction and survival. Arturo Massol Deyá, an environmental activist, likened the behavior of such tourists to that of invasive species, highlighting the broader implications of cultural and ecological disrespect. Alejandro Ríos-Franceschi, an associate professor of ecology, biodiversity and evolution at the University of Puerto Rico, Ponce Campus, said if tourists are actually coming to Puerto Rico and trying to spray the coquí with chemicals, it could enter the groundwater and spread to other creatures, possibly disrupting the entire ecosystem of the island.

A team of Southeast CASC researchers published an article on climate adaptation strategies for Coqui frogs in the journal Global Ecology and Conservation that looked at the effects of nine physical and habitat related factors on local populations of Coqui frogs. Abundance of three of the species were positively and strongly influenced by high humidity and lower temperatures, while the fourth Coqui species studied exhibited the opposite pattern. These results may be used to characterize the range of environmental conditions that influence the distribution of coqui populations and indicate which habitats might act as climate refugia for these species as the forests in Puerto Rico become warmer and drier in the face of climate change. (Climate Adaption Science Centers)

If the coquí stops singing, it stops communicating and therefore, it will not reproduce. The consequences of a lack of reproduction is extinction. The sounds of the coquí are distinct and made with intention. Only the male sings, and he actually produces two distinct notes: the “co” and the “quí.” “The ‘co’ is to warn other nearby males not to enter his territory. It’s a sound that only males can hear,” Joglar explains. As for the “quí,” it’s a sound only females can hear, and “it’s an invitation for a night of romance.”

“If the sound bothers you, it’s because clearly you’re not from here. It symbolizes how these people come to occupy these spaces and are bothered by the coquí, by Puerto Ricans, and by our culture. And just like they want to spray the coquí, they’d spray Puerto Ricans too,” says the executive director of Casa Pueblo, a community self-management organization that fights for the conservation of local natural resources and promotes the use of solar energy. “The problem isn’t the coquí; it’s the invader who is in the wrong place with an attitude that everything can be solved through extermination.” (El País)

The incident has also brought attention to the ongoing issues of gentrification and displacement in Puerto Rico. Policies favoring foreign investors have led to rising property prices and the displacement of local residents [read more: The Displacement of Puerto Ricans from their Island Home]. The tourists’ actions are seen by many as symptomatic of a larger pattern of disregard for the island’s people and environment .

In response to the outcry, local activists are calling for increased education for visitors about Puerto Rico’s environmental laws and cultural norms. There is a push for tourism that is respectful and sustainable, ensuring that visitors appreciate and preserve the island’s unique ecosystems and cultural symbols. Some are also advocating for stricter enforcement of laws protecting endangered species like the coquí.

Joglar, from Proyecto Coquí, is more concerned about what climate change means for this species. “Amphibians worldwide are extremely threatened, and the main threat is climate change. That is the real danger for the coquí,” he asserts. The expert denounces that in Puerto Rico, the local government is increasingly promoting the use of natural gas and carbon, while in Washington, the current president is also expanding the use of fossil fuels. “Convincing the gringo tourist not to bother them anymore isn’t that complicated, but convincing Governor Jenniffer González and President Donald Trump to use renewable energy? That’s impossible. And it’s leading to a massacre of coquíes,” he warns

The controversy serves as a stark reminder of the importance of cultural sensitivity and environmental stewardship. For Puerto Ricans, the coquí is more than just a frog; it is a cherished emblem of their heritage and resilience. The incident must be a reminder of the urgent need for visitors to engage with the island in a manner that honors and protects its natural and cultural treasures.

As Puerto Rico continues to grapple with the challenges of climate change, over-tourism, and cultural erosion, the coquí’s plight symbolizes the broader struggle to preserve the island’s identity and environment. The hope is that this incident will lead to greater awareness and respect for Puerto Rico’s rich natural and cultural landscape.

Personal Reflection:

Reading about tourists spraying pesticides to silence our coquí stirred something deep within me. The coquí’s song is more than a sound—it’s a living memory, an ancestral rhythm that connects us to our Taíno roots. The Taínos, the island’s Indigenous people, held a deep spiritual connection to nature, and the coquí was a sacred part of that. To silence the coquí is to sever one of the last living ties we have to the land, the spirit, and the heritage of our first people. The ignorant act of poisoning them is a continuation of the disrespect and erasure that our communities, and especially our Indigenous lineage, have endured for centuries.

This story is about our local wildlife, our ecology and the land’s diversity but mostly, it is about colonization in its modern form. From the forced displacement of families to the casual disregard for Puerto Rico’s culture and environment, we are watching a new wave of erasure unfold. The coquí, like the Taínos, has survived centuries of violence and change, and still sings through it all. When you try to silence that song, you’re not just muting nature—you’re attacking history, identity, and resilience. But like the Taínos, and like the coquí, we endure. We remember. And we will not be silenced.

I’d love to hear from you….