Angel’s Journey
We do a lot of work to help wild sloths, and it’s great when we receive, for example, reports of them using our canopy bridges; but besides the photo or the video, we don’t know anything else about those sloths. So it’s very interesting when we have the opportunity to closely study and follow a particular sloth because we can learn so much from them. Today we want to share with you the story of a very special sloth named Angel.
A Beach Orphan
Angel is a two-fingered sloth found as an orphaned baby on the coral rocks at a beach north of Puerto Viejo, soaking, cold, losing hair, and with a closed eye.
A local rescue center initially took her in for care. But when the facility had to shut down, we embarked on a 5-hour journey to transfer her to the Toucan Rescue Ranch, where she received care for almost a year.
In February this year, Angel returned to the South Caribbean for her release. Monitoring her adaptation is crucial, as sloths like Angel, raised by humans, miss the essential survival skills learned from their mothers.
Post-release Monitoring
We equipped Angel with a VHF collar and set her free near the Cocles River mouth, a location known for its two-fingered sloth population. Angel hesitated before leaving the crate to climb a beach almond tree. Eventually, she ascended the tree, embracing her freedom.
We followed Angel for over three months; our work here was essentially to ensure she adapted to life in the wild and thrived as a wild sloth.
For rescue centers, it’s very difficult to conduct this kind of post-release monitoring due to a lack of funds, personnel, and equipment. And in this case, the rescue center we’re collaborating with, the Toucan Rescue Ranch, isn’t even located in the Caribbean!
As stated in one of our latest research studies on sloth genetics, we recommend that rescue centers consider the genetic origins of sloths, which is why all sloths rescued in the Caribbean are returned here for their release and post-monitoring.
A Happy Ending
After many months following her, we concluded that her adaptation to the wild was positive. So in May, when we found Angel close to the ground, we decided it was a good opportunity to remove her collar.
Dr. Cliffe performed a quick physical inspection during the collar removal, confirmed she was healthy and had gained weight, and then we proceeded to release her in the same tree from which we had retrieved her. And so Angel began a new stage in the wild as a completely wild sloth, without the care or close monitoring of humans.
Angel’s Angels
We want to thank our friends and colleagues from Toucan Rescue Ranch for their amazing work rescuing and rehabilitating wildlife, and for looking after little Angel. You can visit their website and follow them on social media to learn more about them!
And of course, a huge thank you to you because helping sloths like Angel, and monitoring them, is only possible thanks to your contributions.
I hope you enjoyed the story of the adorable sloth Angel, which is a story of sloth resilience, but also about the threats they face due to habitat loss and disturbance. We work to minimize the impacts of urbanization with many research and conservation projects, and for SlothTober, we aim to fundraise $20,000 to keep helping wild sloths! Here are some projects we’ll fund with your help:
- $250: Funds one Sloth Crossing canopy bridge, covering rope materials, climbing equipment, insurance, and safety for our climber.
- $100: Plants 10 trees, including everything from seed to planting, post-monitoring, materials, and equipment.
- $600: Spays and neuters 10 rescued dogs to help reduce the number of strays and prevent attacks on sloths and other wildlife.
- $2,000: Funds one GPS collar for monitoring wild sloths as part of the Urban Sloth Project.
-Cecilia Pamich
Communications & Outreach
