Welcome to the Sloth Sanctuary!

Welcome to the Sloth Sanctuary!
When an orphaned three-toed sloth was brought to her doorstep
over 20 years ago, little did Judy Avey-Arroyo know that her whole
life was about to change. We find out how the arrival of this single
baby sloth led to the creation of a world-renowned sloth rescue and
rehabilitation centre.
All text and images by Roland Seitre*/naturepl.com
*(unless otherwise stated)
Near to Cahuita National Park, on Costa Rica’s Caribbean
coast, sits a peaceful wildlife haven, run by Judy Avey-Arroyo and her family. After a professional life spent in Alaska,
Judy and her husband Luis Arroyo settled in Costa Rica, together with their daughter and grandchildren.
What started out their dream of a guesthouse for birdwatchers has transformed into a centre dedicated to one of the
more unusual Costa Rican mammals: the sloth. The centre
and its success all stems from a chance encounter in 1992
between Judy and an orphaned baby sloth called Buttercup,
who instantly captured her imagination and affection.
Three young girls from the local neighbourhood found Buttercup and took her to Judy hoping she’d be able to help.
Judy and her husband Luis took in the young orphaned sloth
and set about looking after her. They contacted a number of
zoos for advice but very little was known about how to rear
baby sloths, so with lots of common sense and using leaves
they saw wild sloths eating, they raised their first orphan
sloth.
Two years later a local bus driver brought them another
orphan and from there it escalated. As word got around
that the Arroyos knew how to look after sloths, new arrivals steadily increased and they became an authorized sloth
rescue centre in 1997.
As well as
the rescue
and
rehabilita
tion of slo
ths that
are broug
ht into the
centre,
Judy and h
er team st
udy the
centre’s r
esidents a
nd their
wild neigh
bours in a
n attempt to b
etter unde
rstand
sloth beha
viour, phy
siology
and patho
logy.
The Sloth Sanctuary, also known as Aviarios del Caribe, is now a specialist institution that
provides visitors the opportunity to meet this intriguing creature. The centre is dedicated
to the protection of the two Costa Rican sloth species – the brown-throated three-toed sloth,
Bradypus variegatus (known locally as Ai) and Hoffmann’s two-toed sloth, Choloepus hoffmanni (known as Unau).
Hoffmann’s two-toed sloth (Unau)
Brown-throated three-toed sloth (Ai)
A reh
abilita
ted br
throa
own
ted th
r
e
e
-toed
sloth
being
r
e
leased
back i
nto th
e wild
rescu
by
e wor
ker, S
antiag
o
Chagg
o
ecca
t, Reb
n
e
d
u
t
y’
rch s
y diar
l
i
a
d
Resea
‘
ga
roated
tachin
t
h
t
a
e
n
f
f
w
i
Cl
a bro
is
ter to
t
i
device
m
s
s
i
n
h
a
T
r
t
y
oth.
activit
oed sl
t
y
l
i
e
a
e
d
r
th
the
ed
onitor
m
l be us
o
l
t
i
d
w
e
s
d
u
an
eir
sloths
d
l
i
w
out th
f
b
o
a
e
r
n mo
ld.
to lear
the wi
n
i
r
u
o
i
behav
Photos © Suzi Eszterhas / naturepl.com
What started out as chance encounter with an orphaned baby
three-toed sloth has developed into a fully authorised sloth
rescue centre that has seen over 500 sloths pass through its
doors.
Over twenty years on, Buttercup still welcomes visitors with
her Mona Lisa smile, and watches over proceedings from her
armchair suspended in the middle of the centre. She holds out
a long arm to visitors, but with her three formidable claws,
each 5cm (2 inches) in length; it’s not advisable to get too
close!
Buttercup sitting in her wicker chair
Photo © Suzi Eszterhas / naturepl.com
The s
loths
fur
may l
ook ro
ugh
and c
oarse
but is
actua
lly sil
ky an
d
smoo
th.
s
p meet
u
c
r
e
t
t
Bu
ge youn
h
t
f
o
some
the
ents at
d
i
s
e
r
er
.
centre
The sloth is a creature of contrasts. At first glance its fur looks to be rough and spiky, but
one stroke reveals it to be silky and smooth, and hiding a thin, delicate body. Despite its
relatively large size, equivalent to a medium-sized dog, the average sloth only weighs between 4 to 8 kg, more comparable to a large cat. And yet its strength is prodigious, an iron
fist in a velvet glove!
It is quite impossible for a person to detach a sloth from the branch it is clinging to; even
dead sloths have been known to retain their grip! Likewise, when feeling threatened, a
sloth may grasp its aggressor and it is said that jaguars have perished in the vice-like embrace of a sloth, even one injured by the cat. And if its strength wasn’t enough, a sloth’s
claws are like deadly daggers and can easily pierce the skin.
laws
Their c
both
ective
f
f
e
e
r
a
and
-hooks
g
n
i
b
ns
as clim
weapo
e
v
i
s
n
as defe
ors.
predat
t
s
n
i
a
ag
OW?
N
K
OU
Y
D
I
D
o
nce t st
e
l
b
resem tually mo
r
i
e
h
ite t
re ac aters.
e
Desp , sloths a
o ant
s
t
y
e
d
k
e
mon ely relat
extra
clos
e
v
a
n
h
oths
ey ca
l
h
s
t
d
s
e toe ch mean t all
i
s
Thre
e wh eck almo
a
r
b
verte n their n ound!
tur
ay r
w
e
h
t
It takes the element of surprise to get around a sloth’s defences –
something its main predator has mastered. Harpy eagles weigh the
same as sloths, but have the advantage of flight and are capable of
swooping down and snatching their prey from a branch before it
has a chance to establish its grip.
Since sloths move slowly, their primary defence strategy is to
remain hidden amongst vegetation. They are so sedentary that
algae grows on their furry coats, giving them a greenish tint that
affords them camouflage. The algae also provides a food source for
insects, including a species of moth that eats nothing else!
W?
O
N
K
OU
DID Y
ir
the ha
s
l
a
m
t mam rows away
s
o
m
g
e
y
Unlik h actually
. The
s
e
t
i
t
o
i
l
s
em
of a
ir extr this feature
e
h
t
from
eleoped
l
e
e
h
v
t
e
have d t them from upside
tec
ng
to pro hile hangi
w
.
ments
down
Photos © Suzi Eszterhas / naturepl.com
W?
O
N
K
OU
DID Y
m
nd fro
e
c
s
e
only d
nce a
Sloths ees about o let!
tr
e toi
h
t
their
o
t
to go
week
Photo © Suzi Eszterhas / naturepl.com
In their evolutionary history sloths were originally
ground-dwelling animals, feeding on leaves within easy reach
of the forest floor before adapting to life in the trees, where
they could be nearer to their food source.
Today, they feed, mate and give birth in the treetops, descending to the ground every 5 to 8 days to defecate. This might
seem rather infrequent, but because sloths digest as slowly
as they move, food may take a month to pass through their
system!
Sloths are typically clumsy on land. Their hind legs are too
weak to hold them upright and their claws are a hindrance.
They drag themselves along the ground, digging into the earth
with their front claws.
Despite this, they are surprisingly good swimmers, sometimes
dropping from their tree into rivers and swimming to new
trees by using their long front limbs to propel themselves.
Photo © Michael Pitts / naturepl.com
DID YO
U KNO
W?
Becau
se
peratu their body t
e
re fluc
tuates mthe ex
wit
ter
sloths nal tempera h
ture
are co
nstrai
life in
the tro ned to
pics.
Sloths are often depicted hanging beneath a
branch, but in fact they only use this position in
order to move or to feed. The rest of the time they
sit upright as, like all terrestrial mammals, their
digestive tract functions far better with the stomach below the mouth!
In order to aid digestion they can often be observed basking in the sun, which raises their body
temperature and enables more efficient digestion,
with minimal effort. Unusually for mammals, a
sloth’s body temperature can often fall below 30∘C
so their “siestas” in the sun are vital.
There are two groups of sloths, containing half a dozen species living in jungle habitats of Central and South America, from Mexico to
Argentina. The two-toed sloths (Choloepus species) moved into the
trees more recently in evolutionary terms and have a varied diet
including leaves, buds, shoots and fruit.
Conversely, the three-toed sloths (Bradypus species) adapted first
to an arboreal existence. They are true leaf specialists and exclu-
sively vegetarian. They are also less active and
slower-moving.
With the limitless supply of foliage in their jungle
homes, three-toed species face less competition
for resources than their two-toed cousins. In some
areas, they are so abundant they represent half of
the mammal biomass, despite being rarely seen.
Scientists have long known that sloths eat the
leaves of hundreds of different tree species.
But what Judy and her researchers have discovered, through their efforts to help injured
animals, is the high degree of specialisation
within individual sloth families. In general, a
particular individual will eat less than a dozen
varieties of plant and the choice of plants varies from one family line to another.
A mother sloth teaches her baby which leaves
to eat, at which stage and quantities they are
safe to consume (as toxicity tends to vary with
the age of the leaf and certain doses can be
poisonous) and even exactly where the edible
trees are situated within her territory. This apprenticeship normally lasts about a year and
without it the baby sloth would not be able to
survive.
After many attempts, Judy has given up trying to
reintroduce babies that have been brought up
at the centre back into the wild. Injured adults
whose wounds have healed pose no problems,
but to release a baby into the wild which has
lived for less than six months with its mother
would, according to her, lead to a certain death
sentence.
Junior, one of those she released, stayed for four
or five days high up in one tree, before returning
to the centre to seek food, and then disappearing. Zephyr, released close to the centre at the
age of two and a half, did not stop eating for eight
days and, intoxicated by excessive ingestion of
tannins, sadly returned to die in their arms. Other sloth centres in the Americas claim to have
achieved successful reintroductions, but according to Judy they have not tracked the animals sufficiently to confirm the success of this operation.
Photos © Suzi Eszterhas / naturepl.com
Youn
g
learn sloths
a
which ll about
p
safe t lants are
oe
their at from
moth
ers
There are currently about 150 sloths living at
Aviarios del Caribe, the youngest is barely 3
weeks old and weighs just 200 grams, half of
the normal birth weight.
“To rear a sloth born so prematurely represents a real challenge, but I have to try”
says Judy, covering the tiny animal in kisses.
With great care, she inserts the end of a syringe filled with warm goat’s milk into the
baby sloth’s mouth, which immediately starts
to suckle.
Its mother was severely burned attempting
to cross a road via an electric cable. One of
her arms had to be amputated and the shock
caused her to give birth prematurely to a
baby that was just viable, but which she was
unable to bring up. Judy stepped into the
breach right away, feeding the infant with a
tiny baby’s bottle every 2-3 hours, day and
night.
“We have around 20 sloths aged between two
and four months, which need bottle-feeding
every three hours, before they can be gradually weaned.”
Keeping operations running smoothly at the
centre is full-time work for fourteen people,
including Costa Rican locals and volunteers
from all corners of the world.
They take on the role of adoptive mothers,
while also giving the centre’s visitors, whose
entry fees finance this work, a detailed presentation of their work.
ll the
a
r
e
ft
ing a ll time
k
o
o
u
L
s is f eam of
h
t
o
l
s
et
or th nteers
f
k
r
u
wo
d vol re.
n
a
f
t
staf
e cen
h
t
t
a
Photos © Suzi Eszterhas / naturepl.com
[Above] Volunteer exercising young two-toed sloths. [Below] Hoffman’s two-toed sloth on climbing frame.
[Above] Volunteer observing the brown-throated three-toed sloths.
[Below] Judy Avey-Arroyo, sloth refuge owner, with Hoffmann’s two-toed sloth.
eck
h
c
a
r
o
Time f
up!
-toed
o
w
t
s
’
tre
he cen
t
f
d and
o
e
e
h
g
i
On
e
eing w
cares
i
a
t
sloth b
a
ll d
red. A
u
onitor
s
a
m
e
o
m
t
d
corde
.
fully re uals’ growth
individ
Mealtimes at the centre are quite a logistical
feat. For one of the three large daily meals, a
big table is covered with a thick comfortable
cloth, on which the baby sloths are placed.
The largest ones receive a plate of fresh vegetables, carrots, green beans, local spinach
leaves, which they can pick up with their
hands and place in their mouth.
The slightly younger, less capable sloths are
helped by the centre’s staff and volunteers,
who guide thinly sliced vegetables in their
mouths, to nibble at their leisure. Any sloths
under the age of one also receive a helping of
milk before their vegetable course.
The youngest sloths have to be content with
a bottle of goat’s milk, the only food they can
consume. Unfortunately it is almost impossible to find locally, so it has to be illegally
imported from the USA - a constant headache
for Judy. After the bottle, the baby sloths
are given a mixture of stewed leaves to lick,
which helps with the weaning process.
“As you see, it’s impossible to provide the necessary knowledge and detail of wild plants
sufficient for the babies to be released”
Judy explains.
Meal
e quite
times ar
t!
ional fea
t
a
s
i
n
a
g
ran or
oth dete
l
s
e
h
t
f
o
The age
hey get;
t
d
o
o
f
t
ha
,
mines w
ats milk
o
g
’s
t
i
r
or
whethe
etables
g
e
v
d
e
stew
carrot.
slices of
DID YO
U KNO
W?
All slot
hs hav
e three
on the
toes
ir back
feet; it
only th
i
e num
ber on s
front f
their
eet tha
t varie
s.
DID YO
U KNO
W?
Comm
un
ronme ity outreach
ntal ed
a
portan
ucatio nd envit elem
n is an
ent of
at the
the wo imsloth s
rk don
anctua
people
e
r
y
aware
, maki
and po
ng
how h
abitat
wer li
nes ar
the loc
e thre loss
al slot
atenin
h pop
g
ulatio
ns.
Because they cannot be reintroduced to the wild, the baby
sloths live with adoptive mothers in a specially adapted enclosure, where they will live a long and happy retirement. They
are organised into same-sex groups of two or three, in order
to avoid any reproduction.
Certain animals are shown to the public daily in a large building devoted to education. Various support materials, including a DVD and a small museum, are also used, but nothing is
as effective as the authentic experience of seeing close up the
charm and gentleness of these unique animals.
For more information contact Laura Sutherland
laurasutherland@naturepl.com
A gallery containing all the images from this
story can be found here.