The Mysterious Sloth | August 2025
Some sloths love attention. Luiza is not one of them.
She’s been keeping a low profile as usual, quietly nestled in the sangrillo trees along the Cocles beach trail. A few males have been spotted nearby, but Luiza seems to prefer her solitude. Always a little camera-shy, always a little hard to reach, Luiza has a way of disappearing in plain sight.
In June, we sent out a full team of eight people to try and locate her. With a strong signal coming from high in the canopy, we started a bit of a friendly competition, who could spot her first? After several false alarms (there’s no shortage of sloths impersonating Luiza in that tree), it was Dr. Cliffe who won the day, shouting from below: “Found her! I win!”
And there she was, calmly watching us from behind a heart-shaped vine, as if to say, ‘All this fuss for me?’
Is not unusual to spot Luiza near other sloths. This time, she’s sharing the canopy with a two-fingered sloth
Camouflage Queen
Luiza has earned her reputation as the queen of camouflage. The signal usually leads us to the same section of forest, but picking her out from among the many leaves, shadows, and other sloths is never easy. It’s a true test of patience and sloth-spotting skill.
This month, she’s been her usual consistent self, staying within her known territory and returning to the same favorite trees. But during one of our tracking outings, we noticed something that made us look twice.
Was that a tiny arm? A bit of fuzzy movement against her chest?
We’re not ready to confirm anything yet, but there’s a chance Luiza may be carrying a baby again. If so, this would be her fourth time in the study, and her timing would line up perfectly.
Until we get a clearer view, she remains as mysterious as ever: quiet, steady, and always keeping us guessing.
Thank you once again for your symbolic adoption. Your support allows us to keep tracking wild sloths like Luiza, understanding their behavior, and protecting the trees they rely on. With your help, we’re able to continue long-term research that truly makes a difference for sloth conservation in a changing world.
If you're enjoying these updates, consider inviting a friend to join our VIP community or adopt a sloth too: maybe Deborah, who just watched her baby Mel become independent, or Tender, who’s been venturing into new territories. Every new adoption helps us expand our reach and protect more wild sloths, one slow step at a time!