In the past 40 years, the human population of Costa Rica has doubled, and urban development has increased by 250%. In Costa Rica’s Talamanca area, urban sprawl has increased by 30% in just two years, wiping out an estimated 3,000 sloths annually. Both native sloth species in this region are now listed as conservation concerns.

Across South America, habitat destruction is even more severe, with Brazil’s Atlantic Forest—home to the vulnerable maned sloths—reduced to just 7% of its original size. When sloths disappear, the delicate balance of the rainforest unravels. We must act now to protect sloths before it’s too late.