The Tragic Loss That Led to a Movement

No matter what language you speak, the word “sloth” means some variation of “lazy.” Not to mention, it’s one of the seven deadly sins. But what does that do for our perception of these gentle creatures that roam Central and South America? The short answer is that we have major misconceptions that warrant reevaluation. Thankfully, the Sloth Sanctuary of Costa Rica is shining a light on the education and conservation of these fascinating animals!

The Start of the Sanctuary

The Sloth Sanctuary of Costa Rica is one-of-a-kind. What began as an unexpected rescue on a ruined piece of land has grown into a sanctuary that has saved over 1,000 sloths and educated countless people.

In 1992, Judy and Luis Arroyo had planned a peaceful retirement in Costa Rica, running a bed-and-breakfast and hosting bird-watching tours on their 300-acre riverside property. However, a devastating earthquake in 1991 reshaped their plans. The earthquake rerouted the river, destroying much of their land. As they rebuilt, their property began serving an unexpected purpose. Cue the sloths.

Neighbors, aware of the Arroyos’ love for animals, brought them a baby sloth whose mother had been killed by a car. “A couple of kids who lived there found this little sloth — it was on the side of the road, and unfortunately, the mother had been hit by a car,” says Susie Walker, an educator and all-around sloth guru at the Sanctuary. “But sloths hold their babies tight to their chest, so the baby survived even though the mom did not. They brought the sloth to Judy and Luis and asked if they could do anything to help.“

At the time, Costa Rica had only a handful of wildlife rescue centers, none of which specialized in sloths. Locals often viewed sloths negatively, considering them dirty vermin and even “bad luck” due to their bug-ridden, algae-covered, bedraggled fur.

Thankfully, Judy and Luis’s passion for animals prevailed. The baby sloth, named Buttercup, was nursed back to health under the couple’s care. Her survival marked the beginning of the Sloth Sanctuary. Over time, word spread, and more sloths in need arrived. The sanctuary officially dedicated itself to sloth rescue, rehabilitation, and research, becoming the first and only center in Costa Rica focused solely on these enigmatic creatures.

Studying the Sloth Species 

Sloths are native to Central and South America and belong to two families: three-fingered sloths (Bradypus) and two-fingered sloths (Choloepus). Costa Rica is home to the brown-throated three-fingered sloth and Hoffmann’s two-fingered sloth, and though they share a slow pace, their diets, behaviors, and adaptations differ.

Three-fingered sloths are strict folivores, subsisting solely on leaves and occasionally flowers. Two-fingered sloths have a slightly more varied diet, including unripe, green fruit. They can also be mildly more active and faster than their three-fingered counterparts, though both species depend on camouflage and their slow-moving stealth to evade predators.

Their slow metabolism — a trait often mistaken for laziness — enables them to extract every possible nutrient from their low-calorie diet. This process can take up to a month for a single meal.

“We did a study where we used safe dye to color the food they were eating, and we measured how long it took to come back out,” Susie tells us. “They have a multi-chambered stomach that takes its time and pulls all the nutrients that it can possibly get from this food, and it takes approximately one month for one item to go from the mouth all the way through the system and all the chambers. They move and process slowly, getting everything they can from what they eat.”

The Struggles Sloths Face

According to Susie, the primary threat to sloths is habitat destruction. Hands down. Costa Rica’s rise as a tourist destination has led to deforestation for hotels and infrastructure, fragmenting the rainforests that sloths rely on. Without continuous tree cover, sloths must traverse roads, electrical wires, or lawns, exposing them to dangers such as traffic, electrocution, and predators, including domestic pets who are a bit more “playful” than the sloths are prepared for.

The sanctuary’s rescues most often include orphaned or abandoned baby sloths, like Buttercup, who lose their mothers to such hazards. These babies face an uphill battle, as sloths spend about a year with their mothers learning essential survival skills, such as identifying safe leaves and navigating the forest canopy. Without this knowledge, their chances of survival in the wild are significantly reduced. For this reason, the Sanctuary has some long-term sloth residents who cannot be re-released into the wild.

Misconceptions and the Sanctuary’s Mission

Sloths are often misunderstood due to their slow pace and seemingly passive demeanor. The sanctuary’s mantra, “Slow is beautiful,” reframes their slowness as a superpower rather than a flaw. Their deliberate movements help them avoid predators, while their energy-efficient metabolism allows them to thrive on nutrient-poor diets.

There are even misconceptions surrounding their diet. “Some people think they eat eggs, but we don’t have any evidence that they eat bugs or eggs out of birds’ nests or anything like that,” Susie says. “They’re folivores — they’re basically a giant gut with a cute face and some arms and legs.

And as we mentioned before, the word ‘sloth’ certainly carries negative connotations. “In every language, it translates to ‘lazy’ or ‘stupid,’” admits Susie. But she reminds us that these animals are perfectly adapted to their environment — survivors who’ve thrived for millions of years. “They do move slowly, but that’s absolutely not because they are lazy,” she says. “When they’re evading their predators, the fact that they’re moving so slowly means they’re flying under the radar. If they’re moving quickly, they might be spotted.”

The sanctuary’s education programs aim to shift public perceptions. Visitors learn about sloths’ ecological importance and the threats they face. The sanctuary also partners with schools in Costa Rica and abroad, offering curricula that teach children to empathize with wildlife and understand the impact of human actions on ecosystems.

Sloth Success Stories: Buttercup, Millie, & Bruno

Buttercup, the orphaned baby who started it all, became the sanctuary’s first permanent resident and most beloved ambassador. Her gentle nature and iconic presence helped dispel myths about sloths and inspired countless visitors. Buttercup lived to an impressive 27 years, a testament to the sanctuary’s exceptional care.

Bruno, the third sloth rescued by the Sanctuary in 1996, was confiscated from a drug addict by a kind soda shop owner. As a sickly infant weighing just 500 grams, Bruno’s survival seemed uncertain. With loving care, goat milk, and therapy, he overcame severe nerve damage that left his legs impaired. Now a strong adult, Bruno uses his impressive upper body strength to move gracefully through his enclosure, resembling a furry Arnold Schwarzenegger!

Another memorable resident is Millie (short for “Millenial”), a two-fingered sloth rescued on January 1, 2000. Millie earned the nickname “Militant Millie” for her feisty temperament as a baby. “All animals and people have different personalities and responses to things, and sometimes when we go and rescue sloths, they’re just calm and gentle,” says Susie. “And sometimes they’re a little feisty. Millie was royally feisty.” Over time, she grew into one of the sanctuary’s gentlest and most affectionate ambassadors.

Research and Rehabilitation

The sanctuary collaborates with researchers and graduate students worldwide, helping others study and document sloth physiology, behavior, and ecology. 

“Obviously, the rescue-rehab-release is important to us, but we also believe that a key element of what we do is the research and education,” says Susie. “We want people to understand the plight. Why is it important that we save them?” Studies have revealed fascinating results, such as their resilience to falls from great heights and the potentially mutualistic relationship between sloths and the insects that live in their fur.

Rehabilitation efforts are tailored to each sloth’s needs. Some can be reintroduced to the wild, but releases are carefully planned. “Obviously, the idea is to put them back where they came from, but if where they came from was unsafe for them, then we would want to locate a suitable alternative that would be safe,” explains Susie. Subspecies variations and dietary preferences must also be considered.

The Future of Sloths

Today, the sanctuary’s mission extends beyond rescue and rehabilitation. It’s a hub for education, research, and advocacy, inspiring a global community to protect sloths and their habitats. Each sloth, from the feisty Millie to the precious Buttercup, carries a story that underscores the importance of treasuring this species in all its unique, slow-moving glory.

 “They do move slowly, but that’s absolutely not because they are lazy,” Susie reminds us about the sloths she’s so passionate about. “‘Energy efficient’ is a better term for them. They make use of everything they can, and they don’t have to do more than that. And when they do, they will. And if they need to rest up, that’s cool, too.”

A superpower, indeed.