Oprah- the 2 fingered sloth at the Sloth Sanctuary of Costa Rica

This week we have launched the Save Our Sloths fundraiser, and now we need your help in order to make this a success. We are aiming to raise enough money to buy the necessary scientific equipment that will allow us to continue with our research and develop a release program to return hand-reared sloths back to their natural habitat.

You can help us to achieve this dream by donating whatever you can through our campaign page:

http://igg.me/at/saveoursloths

No donation is too small, every dollar is a step closer to reaching our goal.

I passionately believe that your contribution will help to make a huge difference to the conservation of sloths around the world. Together we have the chance to discover more about these amazing animals and help to protect them in the future.

As well as donations, please help us to spread the word and share our campaign page with all of your friends.

Share  our YOUTUBE VIDEO : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7HaOB3EJZM

For those of you who can’t visit us in Costa Rica, The Dallas World Aquarium in Dallas, Texas currently has two amazing exhibits that feature rescued sloths from the Sloth Sanctuary of Costa Rica.  You can also learn more about our long relationship with DWA on our website under the tab partnership.

 The three-fingered sloth exhibit is on the 3^rd level of their rainforest. It is an open exhibit with no fencing, mesh or glass between you and the sloth – but please don’t touch as the sloths like their personal space! The exhibit is made up of small groups of trees connected by vines and a rope-wrapped support structure.

 The sloths, Leno, Kawika and Jewel, are free to move about these trees and vines as much, or as little as they like. Generally, a sloth can always be found sleeping in a juncture of tree branches. One of DWA’s three-fingered sloths can be found on this exhibit every day from opening until around 4:00PM. There is no scheduled feeding at this exhibit. The sloths are fed throughout the day whenever they ask for food. They do this by simply coming down lower in the trees or branches and extending their hand – the favorite food for the three-fingered are the pods and leaves of the tropical cecropia tree that are flown in just for them, twice each week. The sloths at DWA eat as much as they like and then head back up the tree to go back to sleep.

Depending on the sloth, this could happen several times a day – or not at all, so finicky would be a great word to describe the eating habit of the three-fingered sloth!

 The newly expanded two-fingered sloth exhibit is located on the 2^nd level of the rainforest directly across from the waterfall. This exhibit has three levels fabricated out of rock with a water feature on the side that cascades into a small pond on the lower level. A large tree is on the 1^st level and extends up to the 3^rd level.

This exhibit is home to Velcro and Freckle. These two are crazy about each other and can usually be found cuddling together. The blonde hair belongs to Freckle, and the dark brown to Velcro. There is a scheduled public feeding for this exhibit at 11:00AM each day. A DWA keeper feeds vegetables to Velcro and Freckle while talking with the guests and answering questions.

Please consider visiting our extended family in Dallas, Texas!

Sloths have many weird and mysterious behaviors that we are constantly trying to understand…

Why are they so slow? Why do they come down to the ground to defecate? How long do they sleep for? These are all the common questions. The fact that male three-fingered sloths have evolved bright orange patches on their backs seems to have been completely overlooked! Considering a sloths survival strategy is camouflage, this sticks out like a neon flashing light!

Why have these bright male patches evolved? What is the benefit? We have so many questions that we are hoping to answer here at the Sloth Sanctuary!

We have learned over time that male three-fingered sloths develop these patches as they reach sexual maturity at approximately 2.5 to 3.5 years old.  On mature adults they are always yellow or orange in color and divided by a central black stripe with additional black markings in a pattern unique to each individual. The type of hair within the patch is completely different in texture to the rest of the sloth’s hair and doesn’t grow any algae. Interestingly, the patch appears to be covered in an unknown oily secretion and if you rub it, the yellow/orange pigment rubs off!

 We are determined to find the reason for these big bright male patches and have recently begun a study looking into this.

• Do bigger stronger males have bigger brighter patches?
• Does patch size simply relate to body size?
• Does it vary randomly according to genetics?
• Do the patches get darker with age due to the continuous secretion of oily pigments?

This is yet another sloth mystery!

We are on a mission to answer these questions and find as many different male sloths as we can. Luckily, as the females come into oestrus here at the Sanctuary we get an influx of testosterone fueled males from the surrounding forest. We are able to catch them and take measurements of body size, weight, patch size, pattern and color intensity before releasing them back into the trees.

Each male has a different back patch marking, very much like our fingerprints. No two male sloths are the same! We are building a male sloth patch library, hand drawing the patterns on their backs so we can get to the bottom of this mystery. Stay tuned and find out what we discover next!

How long do sloths actually sleep?

“Catching a few ZZZZZZ’s”

Every source says something different!

This is one of the most frequently asked  questions we get asked here at the Sloth Sanctuary and ………..the truth is no one really knows the answer!

There have been several studies looking at sleep in sloths (say that 10 times fast!). Every single study came up with completely different results. The studies claimed that sloths can spend anywhere from eight to twelve hours sleeping per day!
The most likely answer is that is depends on factors such as the geographical region, temperature and of course, the family of sloth you are interested in. We completed an in-depth research project here at the Sloth Sanctuary looking at the activity patterns of captive sloths. We were able to conclude that Bradypus sloths will only spend approximately 9 hours per day sleeping in captivity. The value for wild sloths is likely to be less than this. So in our quest to de-mystify the sloth…. sleeping is still a bit of a mystery!

We will keep you posted!

Do you have a sloth release program?

We get this question often at the Sloth Sanctuary. Many of the sloths that are brought to us are injured wild adult sloths. These sloths are immediately quarantined and accessed for injuries and illnesses. We do our best to tend to the medical issues and keep them until we are sure that they are ready to go back to the wild. After the medical issues are under control, we place these sloths into a “soft release” area where we can monitor them and make sure that are doing well.  Once they thrive in this controlled environment we return them back to the place where they were found. We have a very successful release program for all of the sloth’s that are brought to us at over 12 months old. To date, we have released over 100 sloths that arrived here injured and were nursed back to health before being returned to the wild.

It is much more difficult to release hand-raised sloths. In the wild, a baby sloth lives with its mother for at least 12 months, during which time it learns all the essential skills required to survive in the wild. One of the most important lessons to learn is which leaves are safe to eat. Many other mammals  learn what is safe to eat through trial and error – if they feel sick after eating a certain food; they will avoid it in the future. Their digestion is very slow making it much more difficult for a sloth. It can take them up to 30 days to digest a single leaf. If a sloth feeds from the same tree species for too long it risks overdosing on that particular toxin – and unfortunately they won’t realize it until it’s too late! We simply do not know enough about their natural diet in order to teach this to the orphaned babies that arrive here. Much more research is required! In addition to this, in order to provide the baby sloths here at the sanctuary with the best chance of survival, they are raised in a clean, sterile environment. However this makes releasing them even more difficult as they build up no natural defenses against the bacteria and microbes found in the rainforest.

We initiated a release program a few years back but it was not successful. Every cloud does have a silver lining, and in this case it made us realize just how much there is still to learn about these fascinating animals!

To date, no one has ever documented the successful release of a hand-reared sloth to the wild through radio collaring or tracking.

This is not just a sloth-problem – it is unfortunately the case for many mammal species, especially those in which the babies spend such a long period of time with their mother – there is a reason for this large maternal investment! Despite generous funding, the development of release programs for highly intelligent and social apes such as orangutans and chimpanzees still remains a huge challenge. Even these quick learners never become truly wild after being hand-reared! They are often maintained on protected islands where they can be closely monitored and receive provisional food. A similar problem is faced by conservationists working with pandas and slow lorises, as they are yet to successfully return a hand-reared animal to the wild.

Here at the Sloth Sanctuary we are striving to achieve a release program for our hand-reared sloths and in order to achieve this, we are currently completing research into the diet and habitat preference of wild sloths. We realise that it is an unsustainable strategy to release animals back into an environment that still has the same dangers that caused them to need our help in the first place. To combat this, much of our work is focusing on determining and minimizing these threats. Furthermore, we are also working to discover a way for the sloths hand-raised here at the sanctuary to build up enough natural defenses to allow them to survive in the wild.

Until then, we provide a safe home for all the orphaned babies that are brought in to us. We are also hoping to place many of these hand-reared sloths in zoos around the world that specialize in conservation through education, to act as sloth ambassadors and to help raise awareness of the problems they face.

Meet Savannah- the 2 Fingered Choloepus Sloth!

Savannah – Baby Choloepus- photograph ©2013 Melissa Olivadoti

One of our latest rescues is baby Savannah. She and her mother were attacked by dogs while trying to move across a homeowners property. In suburban areas in Costa Rica there are no dense forests. All sloths live in trees making them arboreal. In the dense parts of the rainforest they rarely come to the ground and when they do, it is mostly to defecate. In areas where they co-exist with humans they must come to the ground to climb up another tree. Savannahs’ mom managed to get away from the dogs by climbing a tree, but  unfortunately she left her baby behind. Luckily, the owner saw his dogs and intervened saving her from serious harm. The owner left Savannah out where he thought her mother would find her and they would reunite.  The dog attack was too traumatic for her and she disappeared leaving her baby behind. Savannah was abandoned. She came to the Sloth Sanctuary very frightened and often tries to bite the workers caring for her. She is slowly calming down and is making great progress. She shows no sign of permanent injury.

Please, Pretty Pleeeeeeze, Can I hold a Sloth???

The number one question we get in emails is about hugging, holding, cuddling a sloth. Our documentary on Discovery Channels Animal Planet, “Too Cute, Baby Sloths” has got sloth huggers coming out of the wood work. The film portrays sloths as cute and cuddly. Most people are not realizing that sloths, although appear gentle and “tame” are really wild animals. They can bite and clamp onto a person with their enormous claws and vise-like grip. All of the videos of past volunteers and workers at the sanctuary have been trained appropriately to handle the sloths.

We recently had a wonderful family visit the Sloth Sanctuary. They had an adorable little girl who fell in love with Buttercup. She loved all the sloths, but her favorite was Buttercup. Her parents did a wonderful thing for her. They taught her about how wonderful sloths are by coming and visiting our education center. It was a day to remember for everyone! To remember her trip they bought her, her very own “Buttercup”. Here is a picture of Alexia with her very own sloth, a wonderful stuffed animal replica. She is happily hugging her sloth with no harm to her or the sloth! Take the cue from Alexia.

To learn more about why we as humans need to respect the nature of the sloth visit our Tour Page.

DeMystifyig the Sloth- brought to you by Claire:

Another silly sloth question!

Do sloths have venom sacs in their mouths? I heard that if they bite you, you die.

When I heard the question about sloths and the venom sacs in their mouths, it was all I could do not to fall down laughing right on the spot. If that were true, everyone who works at the sanctuary would have to be classified as zombies. Sooner or later we all get bitten. It doesn’t happen often, but sometimes it occurs.Sloths are the original pacifists and are rarely aggressive.

The sloths’ teeth are brown from staining tannins from their diet.

A sloths’ teeth look  quite different from ours. Their teeth are brown. The reason for this is that their teeth do not have an enamel covering like ours do. As babies they have white teeth but as they get older their teeth get browner and browner. The leaves that they eat have tannins in them that “stain” their teeth. This may be part of the reason that people might mistake them for having a venom sac in their mouth. Their teeth don’t look like they are clean, but they are.

I’ve been bitten multiple times by baby sloths, but only once by an adult. Not only did I not get an infection but I don’t even have a scar! Their mouths are very clean. In fact, you’re much more likely to get germs from your husband, wife, girlfriend, or boyfriend than you are from a sloth. Have you kissed a sloth today? I have.

Silly Sloth Facts- True or False

Hi Sloth Lovers! It is me, Claire. Today I am blogging about questions I am asked while I am giving tours here at the Sloth Sanctuary. I’m frequently asked by guests if something they have heard about sloths is true. Every time I think I’ve heard it all, somebody comes up with something new. What is really disturbing is that some of this information is coming from tour guides and some of it has been published as fact. Here’s a sampling of  some of the things I’ve heard:

1. Are sloths full of disease-carrying parasites that live in their hair?
2. Does it takes a sloth 24 hours to have sex?
3. Do sloths have venom sacs in their mouths; if they bite you, do you die?
4. When it’s time for sloths to go to the bathroom, do they let go of the tree and free-fall to the ground?
5. Do sloths sleep for 18 hours a day?
6. In captivity, do sloths get depressed if they occupy an enclosure alone?
7. Is it true that sloths do not have ears?
8. Sloths are deaf, is it because their  hair that covers their ears?
9. Are sloths descendants of an alien race that came to earth eons ago? (This is my personal favorite!)

I am going to reply to each one of these “Silly Sloth Questions” one by one in our new series:

“Demystifying the Sloth“

#1. Do sloths have all kinds of icky bugs living in their hair?

The “Sloth Moth” lives its life on the body of the sloth. When 2 species live together like this it is called “Symbiosis”

No. The only insect routinely found in a sloth’s hair are little “sloth moths”. They are not parasites. They have a symbiotic relationship with the sloth. Due to the wet climate of the rainforest algae grows on the sloths’ hair. The algae in the sloth’s hair provides food for the sloth moth. When the sloth defecates, the “poo” provides a medium in which the sloth moths lays her eggs. In return, the amount of algae in the sloth’s hair is kept under control. The purpose of the algae?  Visual and olfactory camouflage. Insects like fleas and ticks don’t even like to bite sloths because of their low body temperature. They would rather hitch a ride on hosts with warmer blood. Sloths are incredibly clean animals with no body odor.

My dogs should smell so good!  Stay turned for my next blog post…….  #2 Does it take sloths 24 hours to have sex?

Do you have a silly sloth question?  We would love to hear it!

My name is Becky Cliffe and I am a zoologist from the UK and the Sloth Sanctuary’s on-site researcher. I first came to the sanctuary in 2010 on a 12 month research placement through the University of Manchester. I have never looked back.

“Putting on the Sloth Back Pack” Becky Cliffe and Jeff Rochte

During the first 12 months at the sanctuary, I completed the first in-depth research project into captive sloth biology, investigating factors such as food intake, activity budgets, thermoregulation and oestrus cycles in Bradypus variegatus sloths. This project has given the Sloth Sanctuary valuable baseline data which we are now using in order to develop and improve the current rehabilitation and release program. The scientific paper is in the process of publication so check back here for updates!

I recently graduated from Manchester with  first class honours. I am beginning a long-term research project on wild sloths for my PhD. This project will be completed in conjunction with Dr. Rory Wilson  of Swansea University and The Sloth Sanctuary. This research is very important because there is very little scientific information recorded about sloths and their ecology. Even the most basic knowledge such as their natural diet still remains largely a mystery.  The biggest problem for the sloth sanctuary has  been trying to conserve an animal without really knowing anything about it. As a result, we struggle to release many of the hand-raised orphans who are brought into us for help.

A three-fingered Bradypus with a Sloth Back Pack climbs a tree and will be tracked by Becky Cliffe from the Sloth Sanctuary.

This project involves tagging and monitoring the daily activity of wild sloths (Bradypus variegatus and Choloepus hoffmanni) within the extensive protected grounds of the sanctuary. To do this, we will be using a small device designed by Wilson called ‘The Daily Diary’. The exciting potential that this technology holds for research has been recognized though Wilson receiving the prestigious Rolex Award for enterprise.  Furthermore, these gadgets have now been recognized globally and were even used in the making of National Geographic’s largest ever series ‘Great Migrations’

The Daily Diaries constantly collect information; recording for us exactly what our sloths are doing and how much energy they are expending doing it. These devices even produce a detailed record of the environmental conditions that the sloths are experiencing throughout the course of the day!

We are combining these little devices with VHF radio transmitters in a specially designed sloth backpack. Thankfully, the harnesses we use has an automatic drop-off mechanism built in so we can easily remove the backpack without having to recapture the animal – very handy since sloths don’t like to come down to the ground very much! Through the use of these devices, we are aiming to gain a better understanding of the sloths daily behaviour patterns including their diet, habitat preference and reproductive habits. Furthermore, we hope to formulate estimates for factors such as population densities and ranging patterns.

By gaining an understanding of how sloths survive in the wild it will help us to improve our current rehabilitation program and allow us to develop conservation strategies in order to better protect existing wild populations.

In order to do all of this and before we can begin, we need to raise enough funds to cover the costs of our field work and research equipment. Each ‘sloth backpack’ including a Daily Diary, VHF transmitter and harness with drop-off mechanism costs USD $800 (£500)

If you would like to donate and help us achieve this, we have set up a specific research account. No donation is too small; every dollar is a step closer to reaching our dream!

Alternatively, if you would like to ‘Sponsor a sloth backpack’ for $800 this would purchase an entire reusable unit that we will use for the duration of this project. If you chose to do this, you will get the chance to:

• Name the backpack (this will appear on the backpack itself as well as in all publications resulting from this research)
• Receive acknowledgement in all scientific papers that we publish during the project.
• Receive frequent updates, videos and photos from the sloth wearing your backpack throughout the 3 year study.

If you are interested in sponsoring a sloth backpack, or if you have any questions about the project, please don’t hesitate to contact me at rebeccacliffe06@gmail.com for more information.