ConservationSloth Diaries
Please welcome our newest guest blogger, Amanda! She is our Volunteer Supervisor stationed in Sarapiqui where The Sloth Institute and Toucan Rescue Ranch jointly have a sloth release site close to the Caribbean side of Costa Rica for those sloths whose original habitat is in this region.
5am, sun is just beginning to appear over the tree line as the stars I’ve been gazing at for the past 8 hours begin to fade. Red Loared parrots fly overhead and the cows begin their normal mooing routine. The sloth I’ve been observing is starting to settle in to its resting spot where they will remain until the following evening when my team and I will get to greet them with a “good morning”. Finally, my team and I can finish our nights work and retreat to our beds before our next shifts.
For those of you who don’t know me, I’m the new Volunteer Supervisor for the Saving Sloths Together (SST) program (a joint rescue project between Toucan Rescue Ranch and The Sloth Institute) in Sarapiqui, Costa Rica. I arrived at the release site in May 2018 right as the SST program location was being established. Where to begin, when so much has changed since arriving. From new cages and kitchens to exciting new plans and faces (both human and furry alike).
When I was first hired I didn’t know what to expect for a new sloth release program on a farm, but the moment I arrived in Sarapiqui I was swept off my feet. I was welcomed by 14 bright eyed sloths and a world of possibilities. Every day I learned more about the quirks and personalities of each of the sloths in our care. Which ones loved kisses, who disliked the rain the most and who is the most adventurous. Let me just say each and every one of the sloths here at the release site have the biggest personalities, making each and every day a new adventure.
Within my first 3 months we cleaned up all the cages (changed climbing branches, cleaned feeding hangers), monitored wild sloths and set up a new cage to graduate 8 younger sloths in the release program into their bigger release cage. Now as I approach my 6-month benchmark I can proudly say I have released our first set of sloths! It’s all very new but we are already learning so much from them. Many long hours from me and my amazing team have led us to this point – the point where I can smile with pride every time our pre-release sloths taste a new species of leaves we offer, or when each of the released sloths came down for their first wild toilet visit to the ground or when they explore new tree regions in the forest.
I’ve become a proud mom of 14 of the cutest individuals. There’s still so much work to be done but I have never been more excited for what is in store!
More about the Saving Sloths Together Rescue Project:
Toucan Rescue Ranch and The Sloth Institute came together to form Saving Sloths Together (SST), a Costa Rica wide project seeking to provide greater opportunity for sloths in need. Together we are improving the process of sloth rescue, rehabilitation and release in Costa Rica.
i love sloths a lot. I believe they are underrated animals of this earth and I honestly love them to death. I was wondering how could I get more involved with the sloths and maybe one day become a volunteer?