History, Heart, and a Habit of Surprises | August 2025
We’ve always said Tender is a special sloth to us. He’s the offspring of Tiki, a sloth we’ve come to know well over the years, not through formal research, but simply by being regulars at Tasty Waves Cantina, where she’s been a familiar face in the treetops.
As many of you know from Tender’s biography, we installed a Sloth Crossing canopy bridge that connects the trees right in front of the restaurant (SC-122). As we mentioned in the last update, his mother, Tiki, frequently uses it. But these past few weeks have brought a few exciting developments.
First, we received a message from Lydia, the owner of Tasty Waves, letting us know that Tender and Tiki had both used the bridge, alongside a troop of howler monkeys, all within the span of just ten minutes!
And then we received this photo!
New Baby in Town!
And if that wasn’t enough sloth excitement for one week… Tiki has a new baby! The little one has been named Tango by Lydia and Bryton, although some of us considered Taco another good option to keep up the delicious tradition of naming sloths after food.
Exploring New Territory
Tender has remained close to home, mostly within the boundaries of the Tasty Waves property. But if you’ve been following his GPS movements, you’ll know he’s started venturing into the neighboring properties as well. There’s a second Sloth Crossing bridge nearby (SC-228), and he’s been using it to move between the areas.
In June, Tender took a little adventure: heading deeper into the forest and away from the daily noise of restaurants, tourists, and traffic.
The recent construction of a new cycle path brought heavy machinery right to Tasty Waves’ doorstep, and it seems Tender decided it was time for a little peace and quiet.
At first, we were puzzled by his signal. For several days, it led us to a dead end on the large private property next to Tasty Waves. But after connecting with the landowner, we were not only welcomed in, we were met with enthusiasm. The owner was thrilled to learn about our work and eager to hear more about Tender’s journey.
The property itself is stunning, filled with towering Sangrillo trees, and the owner shared that sloths and monkeys are often seen commuting through the canopy. His commitment to preserving the forest and managing it sustainably gave us real peace of mind. Knowing Tender is spending time in such a thriving, well-protected corner of the forest feels like a small victory.
We also found Tender resting in a tree connected to the third Sloth Crossing bridge in the area, the famous SC-262. This bridge is particularly important. It’s currently the only known connection between the maritime zone of Cocles and the inland forest, serving as a key corridor for monkeys, kinkajous, and of course, sloths like Tender. So far, we don’t have evidence of Tender using it, but we have plenty of records of sloths, monkeys, kinkajous, opposums, squirrels, and anteaters using it!
Familiar Trees, Familiar Questions
Earlier this month, Tender surprised us again by showing up in a new tree; new for him, at least. It’s a tree often used by another sloth we monitor as part of the Urban Sloth Project: Pistachio.
Just as Tender calls Tasty Waves home, Pistachio is the longtime resident of the neighbouring Caribbeans Café. He’s an older two-fingered sloth, named so for his very green, algae-covered fur, and one of our most consistent individuals to track. We couldn’t help but wonder… could there be a family connection between these two?
Could Pistachio be Tender’s father?
We’ll probably never know for sure. Without genetic testing, this question will stay in the realm of fun speculation, but it’s a sweet thought all the same.
Still Rooted in Home
Recently, Tender has also been seen in the Beach Almond tree right in front of Tasty Waves—the same tree where we first collared him back in January 2024. He’s also been using one of Tiki’s old favorite trees, a spot that clearly holds meaning for them both.
Mariano and Tender
It’s incredibly special to see these trees continue to support multiple generations of wild sloths, quietly going about their lives in a landscape shaped by both humans and nature.