two-fingered sloth Archives - The Sloth Institute

Sloths ENdangered or IN Danger?

Sam Trull — Sun, 06 Nov 2016 20:14:35 +0000

In addition, underlying diseases and abilities to adjust to an ever changing world go un-detected without targeted research initiatives. There are active steps we can take towards creating a safer, healthier and happier future for wild sloths in Costa Rica. But first we need to learn, what makes a healthy sloth? What factors affect the health of individual sloths and sloth populations? In order to truly tackle these questions, we recently completed the build of Monster’s WiSH (Wild Sloth Health) lab.

A question I get asked often is “Are sloths endangered?”. While the sloths of Costa Rica may not be categorized as ENdangered, they are still very much IN danger. Every day critical habitat is destroyed and sloths are injured by human encroachment. They can’t run across roads, jump through gaps in the forest or fend off dogs. In addition, underlying diseases and abilities to adjust to an ever changing world go un-detected without targeted research initiatives. There are active steps we can take towards creating a safer, healthier and happier future for wild sloths in Costa Rica. But first we need to learn, what makes a healthy sloth? What factors affect the health of individual sloths and sloth populations? In order to truly tackle these questions, we recently completed the build of Monster’s WiSH (Wild Sloth Health) lab.

As a part of our research, we take various samples from the wild sloths that we are tracking so that we can monitor different health parameters to get an overall picture of the quality of life of certain sloth individuals and ultimately populations of sloths. Everything from weight, body measurements, feces, blood, hair, photos and more can be collected non-invasively to help us paint a clearer picture about baseline sloth health and what factors affect that baseline. With this lab space, we will be able to collect comprehensive knowledge about common sloth diseases in wild populations. We aim to not only investigate the baseline health of ‘normal’ sloth populations, but also correlate this information with habitat quality so that we can make recommendations on how to better develop human encroached areas to improve the health and quality of life for wild sloth populations in Costa Rica before it is too late. This lab is an instrumental part of our ever growing WiSH program providing our team a perfect environment to work, collect, store and analyze samples. In addition, this lab is a space where we can invite visiting researchers to collaborate on important conservation research that will save sloth lives.

We are so grateful to our incredible community of supporters that made Monster’s WiSH lab a dream come true to help us avoid sloths becoming endangered. We look forward to sharing our educational journey as we work every day to save the sloths that we all love.

– By Sam Trull

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Elementary School Sloth Challenge 2016

Sam Trull — Mon, 05 Sep 2016 12:04:48 +0000

CALLING ON ALL YOU AMAZING TEACHERS/ADMINISTRATORS/COUNSELORS!

A fun and interactive way to inspire kindness to animals and the environment

The Sloth Institute (TSI) is excited to announce our celebration of International Sloth month this October with our 2nd annual Elementary School Sloth Challenge. Last year’s campaign was quite special and the teachers who participated expressed that it was a very special experience for the kids.

Throughout the month of October there were weekly lessons and activities that taught students all about sloths, meanwhile inspiring kindness to animals and the environment.

Lessons included:

Sloth Facts
How to be a Responsible Sloth Tourist
Why it’s Important Not to Support the Pet Trade

We will share some fun ideas for an activity (such as a sloth coloring page which we will provide) and a few other fun things! Students are then encouraged to come up with an anti-pet trade campaign to submit by October 31st. The winning campaign will receive a 15 minute Skype call with the Co-Founder and Sloth Director of TSI, as well as author of Slothlove, Sam Trull, featuring some special appearances by our sloths!

Here is what Ms. Yang, the teacher of last year’s winning class, had to say about the experience:

“Today was such an amazing and educational experience! My students were so happy, they said it was the best day of their lives!”

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The Sloth Institute and Toucan Rescue Ranch Partner to Help Orphan Sloths

Sam Trull — Mon, 13 Jun 2016 01:16:46 +0000

Collaboration focuses on releasing hand-raised orphaned sloths back into the rainforest

June 13, 2016: (Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica)

The Sloth Institute (TSI), located in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica announces its collaboration with Toucan Rescue Ranch (TRR) to begin a Sloth Release and Education Program at TRR to enhance its Sloth Release and Education Program. TRR’s release site is located in Sarapiqui, Costa Rica, which is one-hour from their rescue center. This release site has 40 acres of rainforest where 16 sloths have already been released by TRR. TSI is excited to further this release program with the release of hand-raised orphaned sloths.

The collaboration, in alignment with TSI’s mission of the conservation and well-being of sloths, focuses on a 3-part release plan of hand-raised orphaned sloths back into the rainforest.

We are very excited to be able to share what factors we have learned and are learning that contribute to hand-raised orphaned sloths successful re-entry into the rainforest”, said Sam Trull, co-founder and Sloth Director at TSI. “The sloths at TRR will begin their journey into TSI’s Soft-Release Program. Fitted with tracking collars, the sloths will be tracked around the clock to collect behavioral data, locational data and health status information; critical for the replication for other orphans to have a chance at going back home to the rainforest”.

“Our hope with this collaboration is to better learn how to prepare orphaned sloths brought to our center for eventual re-entry into the rainforest” said Leslie Howle, Founder/Owner of TRR. “There is a critical need to give these orphaned sloths a second chance at life and with The Sloth Institute’s assistance we are so excited to be a part of the sloths journey back to the jungle where they belong.”.

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A sloth tries on her tracking collar for the first time which allows researchers to find her in the rainforestTrull, who spent more than a decade working with primates, began her study of sloths three years ago. “Sloths are not a primate species but are very similar and endearing because of their human like qualities and are in danger”, said Trull. Howle who has spent over 12-years working with Costa Rican wildlife and nine-years with sloths, is excited to enhance their release site and see sloths off into their journey to be wild. Trull and Howle have been sharing sloth information for the past two years.

About The Sloth Institute of Costa Rica

The mission of The Sloth Institute Costa Rica is to enhance the well-being and conservation of wild and captive sloths through research and education. TSI is also dedicated to collaborating with sloth rehabilitation programs to assist with the release of hand-raised orphaned sloths. TSI is located in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica. For further information or to donate to this project, email info@theslothinstitute.org.

About Toucan Rescue Ranch

The Toucan Rescue Ranch (TRR) was established in 2004 by Leslie Howle and Jorge Murillo as a rescue center for toucans and other birds. TRR quickly expanded to owls as well. In 2007, a baby sloth, Millie, arrived and was solely in Leslie and Jorge’s care. Millie is initially what transformed the Toucan Rescue Ranch into to a wildlife rescue center. TRR focuses on the rescue, rehabilitation, research and release of Costa Rican wildlife. We provide care for confiscated, sick and injured animals. For further information, or to donate to this project, email info@toucanrescueranch.org or visit www.toucanrescueranch.org.

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Ellen and Kermie: Update from the field

Sam Trull — Thu, 21 Apr 2016 04:07:34 +0000

It’s always fun getting updates from my research team in the field these days. One person per sloth tracking them through the jungle every night. What are Ellen and Kermie up to?!? Ellen almost never comes back to the release cage anymore. She prefers being in the jungle. She spends her entire night climbing, foraging and interacting with other wild sloths. Just before dawn, usually around 3-4am she heads to one of her preferred sleeping spots (often at the top of a palm tree) and disappears into the tree…making her extremely hard or almost impossible to spot by anyone that may pass by.

Kermie has been using the cage much more…going out every night as soon as possible and then eventually coming back to go to bed. But finally this past week he spent almost an entire week outside! First he chose an ok sleeping spot in the nook of a tree about 5 meters high….I was a little concerned because it wasn’t very high and he wasn’t as well hidden as he should be. But amazingly the next day…after a night of exploration…he chose an amazing sleeping spot twice as high and completely hidden in the canopy of a water apple tree! That was definitely one of my proudest moments for Kermie. He really is learning out there. After about a week of sleeping in that spot and hanging out in that area he made his way all the way back to the cage and chose his old familiar sleeping bag for a night.

This gradual process of helping Ellen and Kermie figure out how to live in the wild…is going so well so far! None of this would be possible without our amazing supporters! Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts for helping Ellen, Kermie and all the other sloths who will be next…live the life they were meant to live. In the jungle!!!

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Two orphaned hand raised sloths 1st step in their journey back home.. the big release, part 1.

Sam Trull — Mon, 21 Sep 2015 20:15:36 +0000

The time has come. Every time another sloth is rescued I make them a promise. For Kermie and Ellen.

I promised them that I would never stop trying to get them safely and responsibly released. Today we are fulfilling a HUGE part of that promise, what we are calling “the big release” and I couldn’t be more excited! A little over a year ago, together with Seda we founded The Sloth Institute (TSI).

Since origination, the exact vision of TSI has evolved based on resources and need but the main purpose has always been to increase knowledge and welfare for sloths. Our first project and goal has been to create an amazing release for the orphaned babies that I have spent the past three years of my life caring for. Seeing these tiny little creatures, recently orphaned, grow and learn is amazing…but then what? How do we get them back into the forest where they belong when they’ve learned most of what they know from humans? The answer is: we are not entirely sure…but what we are sure of…is that we have to try and that we will document every step of the way.

Today begins that process of returning Ellen and Kermie to the wild. They will be transferred to a large (6x6x6m) cage nestled in the beach front jungle of Tulemar’s maritime zone property located in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica. While inside the cage Kermie and Ellen will have a chance to climb and explore while getting used to their new environment. After about a month or two, we will open the sloth sized door to the cage so that Ellen and Kermie are free to leave! They will still have access to the cage and food that we provide inside of the cage but they will finally get to decide if they want to be inside or not!

We hope, that over time they will gradually find more and more food and shelter outside of the cage and we can stop helping them…. but this will all be done at their pace and when they are ready. Additionally, both Ellen and Kermie are fitted with VHF tracking collars which will enable the TSI research team to track them no matter where they go in the jungle and ensure that they are ok and record their behaviors and food choices in the forest. While tracking Ellen and Kermie we will also take data on wild sloths in the same area to have a comparison of what Ellen and Kermie should be doing when outside of the cage.

As excited as I am for this next step for Ellen and Kermie…I am also very nervous. This could be a complete failure and they may never really learn how to live in the forest again. That is definitely my biggest fear and we truly have no idea how what will happen. The only thing I am sure of is that now they have a chance…and that we have literally done EVERYTHING we could possibly do to make it the best chance possible. Thank you to everyone who has helped and supported us along the way! Please stay tuned for more updates as we go on this journey with Ellen and Kermie and the big release! #thebigrelease #helpusgobackhome #slothlove

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“Sharing is Caring”….& meeting Moe the sloth at Cincinnati Zoo”

Sam Trull — Thu, 22 Jan 2015 14:59:41 +0000

Sharing is Caring” – one of the first behaviors you are taught as a small child in pre-school. While a very relevant and great life lesson, my hunch is that pre-school teachers nail this phrase to the board to avoid fights and snotty tear-stained cheeks…not so much for the underlying greater value.

But when you think about it, sharing really IS caring. Caring about something bigger than yourself. This past December I traveled to Cincinnati, Ohio to participate in something much bigger than myself. In an attempt to share what knowledge I have accumulated over the past two years, I presented about sloth rehabilitation during the International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council (IWRC) Symposium. In addition to speaking, I was also privy to many amazing talks ranging from how to build a homemade incubator to how to hand-raise, release and post-release monitor bobcats. The amount of knowledge in that conference room was both exciting and inspiring. Meeting people from across the US, I know I have made some lasting connections and I look forward to continuing to work with and share knowledge with other IWRC members. The night of the banquet I was honored with the presentation of the “2014 Susan M. Fosco Scholarship” which provided me with much needed financial assistance to attend the conference. Being one of those people who, “never wins anything” I felt very honored to receive such a special scholarship. Being presented with a fancy plaque at the banquet was pretty fun too!

Also while in Cincinnati, I just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to visit the Cincinnati Zoo’s very own sloth, “Moe”. Moe is a female adult Choloepus didactylus; the South American two-fingered sloth species. In addition to visiting with Moe I was also invited to speak about Sloth Rehabilitation to Zoo staff and volunteers in a brown bag seminar the day before the IWRC conference began. The Cinncinati Zoo staff came to my talk with great questions and before I knew it I had been talking for almost an hour and a half! It’s hard getting me to shut up once I start talking about sloths! I spent the rest of the day chatting with Moe’s keepers and meeting other zoo animals. Two days later, I went back to the Zoo again and was able to witness some amazing operant conditioning sessions. Not only is the Cincinnati Zoo committed to taking exemplary care of the animals in their collection, but they have also committed a large part of their budget to helping in-situ conservation efforts as well. Zoo visitors learn about how they can help animals in the wild, making Cincinnati Zoo animals true ambassadors to their counterparts living in their natural environments.

My trip to Cincinnati was short, but impactful. Having the opportunity to not only share knowledge with others in the same field, but also to meet my first American sloth…I feel truly inspired and re-committed to sloth conservation. There are so many people all over the globe working with sloths and wanting to learn more about them and help them in their native forests. I’ve only begun to scratch the surface of what is possible and what can be learned about sloths and to be able to bring this passion to others reminds me of what sharing is truly about. #slothlove

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