Last Saturday, our logistics coordinator, tree planter, and general handyman, Mariano, got married, and the wedding couldn't have been more Costa Rican and sloth-themed!
First, it was raining. Then, right in the middle of the celebration, a wild two-fingered sloth was happily feeding just outside the venue, much to the delight of the guests, with all of Team Sloth there to witness it!
Following months of advocacy after the Sloth World Orlando tragedy, Orange County commissioners voted to begin exploring an ordinance that would restrict the importation of exotic wildlife for commercial entertainment.
This is particularly important because Orlando is one of the world's top tourist destinations. If ultimately adopted, Orange County could become one of the first local governments in the United States to introduce these protections, creating a model that other jurisdictions could follow.
It's only the first step, but it's an important one, and we'll continue working alongside our friends at The Sloth Institute through the Sloth Protection Alliance until stronger and nationwide protections become a reality.
https://www.slothconservation.org/blog/orange-county-exotic-wildlife-import-ban
https://reddit.com/link/1v85mqo/video/okvj0kfsvsfh1/player
Hoffmann's two-fingered sloths (Choloepus hoffmanni) have small, rounded ears that are usually hidden beneath their thick fur, making them surprisingly difficult to spot.
Although sloths have relatively poor eyesight, they are far from unaware of their surroundings. Instead, they rely heavily on their excellent hearing to detect sounds in the rainforest, helping them stay aware of potential predators and everything happening around them as they move slowly through the forest canopy.
The sloth featured in this video is a wild Hoffmann's two-fingered sloth that is part of The Urban Sloth Project, our long-term scientific study investigating how habitat loss, urbanization, and human development affect wild sloths living in Costa Rica's South Caribbean.
As part of this research, our trained field biologists occasionally perform health checks and collect scientific data under the appropriate permits and ethical protocols. Every procedure is carried out by experienced wildlife professionals, and the sloth is safely returned to the exact tree where it was found.
What began as an investigation into the horrific roadside attraction known as Sloth World Orlando is now turning into the biggest opportunity we have ever had to end the commercial sloth trade in the United States.
Florida announced a temporary halt on sloth imports into the state - which is a massive step forward considering that approximately 98% of sloth imports into the United States enter through Florida.
But despite this important progress, the work is far from over. Our goals remain very clear:
• A permanent nationwide ban on the importation of sloths into the United States
• An end to hands-on sloth encounters
• A review of how sloths are currently classified and regulated under US law
• Criminal accountability for those responsible for the suffering and deaths at Sloth World
We will not stop until this happens. Together with The Sloth Institute , we have officially joined forces to create the Sloth Protection Alliance: a collaborative effort dedicated to ending the commercial sloth trade once and for all.
This week, we also launched a petition to demonstrate public support for these legislative changes. If you are able to take a moment to sign it, we would be incredibly grateful.
Sign the petition: