Sloths are naturally solitary animals, but they are not all alone up there in the canopy. In fact, sloths have an entire ecosystem living in their fur made up of different species of algae, fungi, moths, and insects. That’s millions of organisms for company!

Cliffe, R.N., Robinson, C.V., Whittaker, B.A., Kennedy, S.J., Avey‐Arroyo, J.A., Consuegra, S. and Wilson, R.P., 2020. Genetic divergence and evidence of human‐mediated translocation of two‐fingered sloths (Choloepus hoffmanni) in Costa Rica. Evolutionary Applications, 13(9), pp.2439-2448.

July is plastic-free month. It is an opportunity to reflect on how we can reduce our plastic consumption, which not only harms our marine and terrestrial ecosystems but threatens our health as well.

What is the skeleton of a Sloth like? What are their claws made of? The internet is full of ‘facts’ about sloths. You will be surprised to know how much of this information is untrue.

You may have heard of or remember a time when milk was delivered in glass bottles to your doorstep. In the span of a lifetime (80 years), we have gone from reusing and repairing most of our possessions to one where disposable products are the norm.

Hace seis años, la fundadora de SloCo, Dra. Rebecca Cliffe, lanzó un importante proyecto de investigación sobre la genética de perezosos en Costa Rica.

June News! While many countries across the world are beginning to ease restrictions, COVID-19 cases in Costa Rica are now spiking (along with an unfortunate outbreak of dengue fever) and so team sloth are regressing back into lock-down mode. Despite this, however, our work to protect sloths does not stop! In fact, we are busier than ever! 

There comes a point in childhood when we begin to understand the concept of finite resources. The oft-used phrase, “you can’t have your cake and eat it too” captures the idea that we often have to choose between the things that we love.

This month we would like to introduce you to Patricio Silfeni; chief agronomist and manager of the Connected Gardens project.

This video of a three-fingered sloth using a wildlife bridge is the exciting result of the coordinated efforts of many people.  We installed a Sloth Crossing for her and she started using it in record time (less than a month!).

In this picture you can see our Connected Gardens Project manager, Patricio, riding his bike to deliver some tree saplings. Unless is strictly necessary, whether it´s because the place to plant is too far, or requires a big quantity of trees, We always choose our bikes as our principal way of transportation.

One of the things that I love most about the rainforest is its otherness – trees that stretch into the sky, hosting worlds of life that I may only glimpse from a distance. Entering the forest is a humbling experience, it reminds me of the vastness and diversity of life on this planet and how much there is yet to be seen.

Would you like to have your photograph taken with a sloth? A sloth selfie for social media? When considering a sloth encounter, the most important thing to remember is the slogan of the year: social distancing!

In stores and supermarkets in North America and Europe, you can buy a pineapple for just a couple of dollars. But what is the real cost behind that cheap price? 

As a child, upon hearing that there is an increase in “desertification” worldwide I probably would have been overjoyed, imagining molten brownies and ice cream sundaes overflowing with chocolate syrup. But desertification (with one “s” instead of two), unfortunately, does not consist of a surplus of desserts.

May Day, May Day! Today is also known as International Workers’ Day, and we want to say THANK YOU to the essential workers who are sacrificing so much to save so many 

Somehow we are almost half-way through 2020 – a year that is turning out to be remarkable for all the wrong reasons. Thankfully I will be sharing with you some happy sloth news and I am relieved to report that Team Sloth are all “hanging in there”.

You may be surprised that only three of the seven species of sloths are considered threatened with extinction by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), who the vast majority of the scientific community consider having compiled the most comprehensive and reliable information source of population counts and risk levels facing flora, fauna, and fungi.