THE 19th-century French poet Gérard de Nerval used to take his pet lobster for walks in Paris at the end of a silk ribbon. Asked why he was so fond of this animal, he replied: “I have a liking for lobsters. They are peaceful, serious creatures. They know the secrets of the sea and they don’t bark.”

Hello, sloth community! Can you believe we’re more than halfway through the year already? We’ve already started preparations for International Sloth Day this October (Thursday, October 20th! Put it on your calendar!), but before that, here’s the latest news from the field: