SLOTHS
sloths are removed from forests across countries such as Brazil, Peru and Colombia each year. Some are sold as exotic pets. Others appear in roadside attractions or so-called rescue centres where tourists can hold, feed or pose with them. The trafficking process can be brutal.
Investigations by charities including The Sloth Conservation Foundation and WWF have documented sloths being torn from trees felled by poachers, while mothers are often killed so their babies can be sold into the wildlife trade. Young sloths are particularly vulnerable. Many
die before they can be put on display and even those that survive struggle in captivity. Three-toed sloths are among the most specialised mammals in the rainforest. They feed on a narrow range of leaves and spend most of their lives alone. Removed from that environment, they usually find it impossible to adapt. “Three-toed sloths simply can’t tolerate life in captivity,” emphasises Dr Adriano G Chiarello, professor of ecology and conservation biology at the University of São Paulo in Brazil.
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And captivity isn’t the only concern. Anthony
Jimenez, a naturalist guide with conservation-led expedition company Natural Habitat Adventures, says tourists should be wary of wildlife experiences that guarantee sightings or present visitors with unusually tame animals. He also warns of tourist properties paying to relocate sloths onto their land because visitors are more likely to book when sightings are virtually assured. “Sloths found crossing roads or living in
fragmented forest patches are frequently removed and relocated to private properties under the justification of ‘rescuing’ or protecting them,” he says. It’s a stark reminder that even animals
encountered in seemingly wild settings aren’t always where they naturally belong. For Anthony, however, the solution isn’t to stop looking for sloths. It’s simply to change the way we look. He’s spent years guiding visitors through the
forests of Costa Rica, scanning Cecropia trees for the telltale outline of a sloth curled up high in the canopy. “The most ethical and effective approach is
DID YOU KNOW? SLOTHS CAN TURN THEIR HEADS UP TO 270 DEGREES, GIVING THEM A REMARKABLE VIEW OF THE FOREST WITHOUT NEEDING TO MOVE THEIR BODIES
Clockwise from top left: Sloths may be famous for hanging upside down, but they regularly climb and perch upright, too; Costa Rica is one of the world’s best places to spot sloths; Musmuki night monkeys are the Americas’ only truly nocturnal monkeys; scarlet macaws and sloths share tropical forests Previous pages: Cecropia trees are a favourite among sloths, providing nutritious leaves and lofty branches where they can rest for hours
IMAGES: GETTY; ANDREW REINER
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