November 2024 | Tales From The Jungle
As December sneaks up on us, we are diving into our year-end reflections (and annual reports – yes, we have to prepare more than one!). Looking back, we’re incredibly proud of all that we’ve accomplished in 2024, and we’re already setting our sights on new goals for 2025 with our upcoming strategic plan. November, as always, kept us busy with exciting updates from the sloths and some major conservation wins. Here’s the latest from the jungle:
New Bridge Crossing the Main Road
Big news: we installed five new Sloth Crossing canopy bridges this month. The most exciting one is now stretching over the main road in front of Le Cameleon Hotel, a hotspot for wildlife activity.
This new addition connects the beach area to other bridges in our network, creating a key wildlife corridor, as shown on the map.
Huge thanks to Le Cameleon and ICE for making this possible!
Tree Plantings and Indigenous Territories
This month, we planted over 300 trees in Puerto Viejo’s urban areas, but the real highlight was heading out to Meleruk – an indigenous territory near the Panama border.
There, we handed out 250 trees to the community and gave a presentation about our projects. Working with indigenous communities is always very inspiring for us – they bring so much knowledge and passion to conservation, and we love learning from them as much as we love sharing.
The Great Sloth Census: Two New Sites Added!
Our sloth census marches on! This month, we completed two new survey sites, mapping 100m x 100m forest squares to gather data on trees, terrain, and habitat features.
Census days are no joke. When we fly drones, we’re up at 4 a.m. to take advantage of the cool morning air for better thermal images. It’s hard work, but worth every early start—especially when you get a stunning thermal shot of a three-fingered sloth lounging in the treetops.
Surprising Sloths!
Luiza gave us the cutest surprise this month—a baby! This is her third since joining the Urban Sloth Project. Earlier this year, we spotted her sharing trees with several males, so we had a feeling this might happen. Do you have any name ideas for her new little one? Let us know!
Meanwhile, Tender, who lives above Tasty Waves Cantina with his mom, Tiki, shocked us with a bold move. For the first time ever, he crossed the main road and ventured 300 meters (984 feet) to a new spot.
We found him chilling in a beach almond tree, just 3 meters (10 feet) off the ground. What is he up to? What prompted this bold move? We will keep monitoring him to find out!
Get Gifts That Help Sloths Thrive
You can symbolically adopt Luiza or Tender and track them through GPS updates! Our Premium Adoption Packs include a 12-page full-color biography, a printed photo, and three handcrafted items made by indigenous women from Peru and Costa Rica. Adopt a sloth today and receive your package in time for the holidays!
Want to stay in the loop on all the sloths we’re monitoring? Join our VIP Subscription on Luiza, Tender, Deborah, Dumbledore, Thanos, and the newest addition to our Urban Sloth Project!
And the best part? 100% of proceeds directly fund our conservation efforts, ensuring sloths and their rainforest homes thrive.
A Day to Be Thankful For
Here’s the part where we get a little mushy. There aren’t enough words to express the immense gratitude we feel every day we step into the field and witness the results and impact of our collective efforts. Together, we have now restored and reconnected over 60 square kilometers of vital rainforest habitat in Costa Rica, installed 324 wildlife bridges, and engaged 1,160 local community members as conservation partners
We couldn’t have done it without YOU. Whether you donated, followed us on social media, or volunteered your time – you are part of this incredible journey. Thank you for having hope—believing that not all is lost, and that working for a healthy environment and a biodiverse planet where humans and wildlife coexist peacefully is both possible and profoundly worthwhile.
Here’s to sloths, jungles, and all of us working together to make magic happen!
All the best from the jungle,
Dr. Rebecca Cliffe
Founder and Executive Director
