anti pet trade Archives - The Sloth Institute

Make a Difference, TSI’s Elementary School Sloth Challenge kickoff begins!

Sam Trull — Mon, 03 Oct 2016 02:10:29 +0000

Jane Goodall says, “What you do makes a difference and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make”. Teachers of the world make a difference each and every day by inspiring our young. One of our three missions at The Sloth Institute Costa Rica is Education; through education we hope to assure the well-being of sloths not only here in Costa Rica but on this planet. And by helping the sloth, we help preserve trees and the forest; for without a tree or the forest, not only would sloths become endangered but so will many other species of animals.

We are thrilled to have so many teachers signed up to participate in our 2016 Elementary School Sloth Challenge when we celebrate International Sloth Day the entire month of October. Inspired by Ms. Yang’s 1st grade class at West Point Elementary, The Sloth Institute through the many teachers who have signed up to participate, hopes to help inspire and educate young children about wildlife conservation. By educating our young about the importance of conservation of wildlife and the forests, we help ensure that our planet will be preserved in the future. Help us celebrate by sharing this with all the teachers you know. Teachers who have signed up will be receiving Sloth/Wildlife Information (Sloth Facts, How to be a Responsible Sloth Tourist, Why Taking Sloth Selfies is not a Good Idea and Why it’s Important not to Support the Pet Trade) throughout the month to share with their classrooms. You can still sign up as late as 5pm PST on October 3rd.

Here is the schedule for the month:

Week 1 Lesson:
Sloth Facts; Activity: Sloth Coloring Page or an activity of the teachers choosing

Week 2 Lesson:
Being a Responsible Sloth/Wildlife Tourist; Activity: The Pledge (stay tuned for more information on The Pledge!)

Week 3 Lesson:
Why Taking Sloth (or any other wildlife) Selfies is not a Good Idea; Activity: Discuss ideas on how to enjoy the wildlife without disturbing them

Week 4 Lesson:
Why the Pet Trade is So Bad; Activity: Come up with an anti-pet trade slogan and drawing (this can be submitted for a chance to win a 15 minute Skype session with Sam).

Thank you for your support and for teaching our young ones. And don’t forget, make a difference! #slothlove

Illustration by Autumn Ashley

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Natures Miracle Sloth, Monster’s story continues….by Sam Trull

Sam Trull — Sun, 14 Feb 2016 17:36:24 +0000

After watching the latest episode of “Nature’s Miracle Orphans” on the BBC, you may be wondering “Where is Monster, natures miracle sloth now?”

I am so proud to tell you that Monster is in the process of being released! She is living inside of a large (6x6x6 Meter) soft release cage with her friend Piper. She has been living in this release cage for the past few months getting acclimated to the weather, smells, sounds and food that she will be eating once free. Next week she will be fitted with her very own VHF tracking collar which will ensure that my Sloth Institute research assistants will be able to find her any time of day or night.

Research staff spend hours every single day collecting wild leaves for Monster and Piper to eat so that they know what to eat once outside and free. In about a month the door to her release cage will be opened so she is free to come and go as she pleases. She will be monitored 24/7 by my research staff who will be recording her behaviors, postures, height in canopy, tree species, size of tree etc. Simultaneously we are also monitoring wild three toed sloths at the release site around Monster’s age…so we have comparison data to know if Monster is behaving and eating like a wild three toed sloth….or if she has room for improvement! The wild data is crucial to be able to evaluate Monster’s progress through the process of her soft release.

Her release is considered “soft” because she is gradually getting used to the wild environment while we are still providing food and shelter if she needs it. This allows her to more naturally find her way around her new forest home while she learns where to find food and shelter…something her mother would have taught her had she not been orphaned. Luckily, having been born in the wild, she is still equipped with many natural instincts which will aid her in finding food and shelter and also staying invisible to predators. But if she needs help…we will be there for her!

This entire release project is not only for Monster…we also have her friend Piper (another three toed sloth) and two two-toed sloths (Ellen and Kermie) who are pioneering our long term post-release monitoring project with hand-raised sloth orphans. Eventually these methods will be used to help all of the other orphaned sloths reintegrate back into the wild as well as sloths at other rescue centers around the country. Long term monitoring is essential in determining not only the success of the release but also to learn more about the natural ecology of sloths in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica and the problems they face because of habitat destruction and ultimately how we can prevent sloth babies from being orphaned in the future. The Sloth Institute was originally created to facilitate this dream release program and has now expanded into wild studies and educational programs to help teach the future generation how to save the forests for all wildlife, but especially sloths.

On a more personal note I am SO proud of Monster, natures amazing miracle sloth. She went from a tiny insecure 2 week old miracle orphan who cried herself to sleep, to a confident, 2 year old young sloth who loves nothing more than being high in the trees and searching for leaves to eat. She is gorgeous and she doesn’t need me anymore….which is one of the most bittersweet feelings….I miss the times we spent together in the nursery…but I am so grateful that she has made it this far and finally has that second chance to live a wild life that she so deserves. My dream for the past 2 years has been to see her released into the rainforest canopy. Now that her release is actually happening…my newest dream is to see her with her own baby one day…at that point I think I can actually exhale…knowing that my miracle baby girl has finally made it back home.

#slothlove #borntobewild

By Sam Trull

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First Grade Class “Adopts” Sloths to Teach Rainforest Conservation

Sam Trull — Tue, 06 Oct 2015 12:34:58 +0000

The Sloth Institute announces the Elementary School Sloth Challenge, inspired by Ms. Megan Yang, 1st grade teacher at West Point Elementary in Surprise, Arizona. Ms. Yang believes in teaching students at a young age about conservation. “I am using the “adoption” of a sloth as a way to educate students about sloths as well as rainforest conservation. I am hoping by “adopting” Chuck, this will help them become personally invested in rainforest conservation and teach them that if you love wildlife you should keep them in the wild and not as pets”, said Ms. Yang.

“We are so excited about what Ms. Yang is doing by inspiring her young students in the importance of the rainforest, conservation and helping with the message that while cute, these sloths are not meant to be pets and they belong in the rainforest. It is through education that we empower our youth to create action and awareness and long-term change”, remarked Seda Sejud, co-founder The Sloth Institute Costa Rica. “We hope other all elementary grade classes will join the challenge.”

Teachers and their classes can join the October “challenge” to honor Sloth International Day, by “adopting” a sloth and submitting an anti pet (sloth) trade slogan thereby bringing awareness to children about the importance of conservation and anti pet trade policies. See TSI’s Facebook page for more on the #elementaryslothchallenge. The class with the best anti pet trade slogan will win a 20 minute skype session with Sam Trull (featured in the recent PBS Special, “Natures Miracle Orphans”) and an orphaned baby sloth being prepared for release.

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