How many sloths are there?

It’s a simple question with a complex answer: we don’t know—yet. But it’s a question that must be answered.

Sloths have evolved over millions of years to remain undetected, living high in the canopies of tropical rainforests where they blend perfectly with their surroundings. This camouflage is vital for evading predators, but it also makes counting and studying them incredibly difficult. Despite their conservation status being flagged as a concern by the Costa Rican government due to declining and threatened populations, there has never been a population assessment conducted for sloths in the country. To effectively protect these iconic animals, an accurate assessment of their populations is urgently needed.

The Threats Sloths Face

Sloths encounter numerous threats in the wild, including habitat loss, habitat fragmentation, dog attacks, road traffic, and electrocution from power lines. However, the most significant and invisible threat is ignorance. Without accurate data on wild sloth populations, governments cannot pass effective protective legislation, NGOs cannot evaluate the success of conservation programs, and sloth genetic diversity may become critically endangered before we even know what’s wrong.

The Great Sloth Census

To address this knowledge gap, we are conducting Costa Rica’s first-ever sloth census using three innovative detection methods:

Scat Detection Dog: Our highly trained dog detects sloth feces, helping us identify where sloths are present.

Human Observers: Skilled researchers use their expertise to locate sloths in their natural habitat.

Thermal Drone Technology: State-of-the-art drones equipped with thermal cameras detect the heat signatures of sloths high in the canopy, offering an aerial perspective of their presence in otherwise inaccessible areas.