Welcoming Kiwi | March 2026
Last month we shared concerns about the coastal erosion affecting Debbie’s habitat. Since then, the sea has thankfully retreated somewhat, and conditions along the beach have calmed. The stronger waves did leave their mark, however, and some trees along the shoreline have been weakened or lost due to the shifting soil. To help restore and stabilize the area, our team is now planning a coastal planting project, which will focus on reinforcing the habitat with native trees that can provide future shelter and food for Debbie and other wildlife in the area.
Despite the challenges along the coast, Debbie herself has been doing well and has continued spending much of her time in one of her favorite roadside trees, a beach almond the tracking team knows very well by now. On several visits she was found resting there quietly among the surrounding vines that offer good cover.
Debbie’s favorite tree
This month also brought some exciting news about Debbie’s little one. Through a baby naming competition for our VIP supporters, the newest member of Debbie’s family has officially been named Kiwi!
We want to give a big shoutout to Lee B., who suggested the winning name, Kiwi! Lee is one of our very first supporters of SloCo, supporting our work since 2017, when we were just a small group of people dreaming big. Thank you, Lee!
Kiwi has been growing well and continues to stay close to mom. On most visits this month, the baby remained hidden, likely tucked securely into Debbie’s fur or concealed among the vines, which is quite normal at this early stage.
On one recent visit though, the team was lucky enough to spot Debbie resting high in the canopy with a small glimpse of Kiwi’s arm, nestled safely against her.
There was even one day when Debbie’s favorite tree turned into a bit of a sloth gathering, with three sloths sharing the same tree, making it briefly tricky to confirm which one was Debbie. Moments like these remind us that her coastal neighborhood is still an active place for sloths, even as the landscape continues to change.
For now, Debbie and Kiwi both appear healthy and settled within Debbie’s usual home range, and we’re excited to keep following Kiwi’s early months of life in the treetops.
