911 Sloth Rescue
Today we visited Costa Rica's Sloth Rescue Center located near Cahuita, Costa Rica. It certainly will be a tour stop for our upcoming Women's Retreat in October and a top recommendation for those wanting to experience what I believe is the "Real Costa Rica." As I said yesterday in my post, I believe a woman should rescue a sloth at least once in her lifetime (humans excluded) and so today Barry and I set forth on a quest: Rescue a sloth or at least support those doing the job everyday in the jungle.
We had heard about Luis and Judy Arroyo, a couple who literally changed their destiny with the arrival of an unexpected guest. Judy from Alaska had met Luis, a Costa Rican and together had opened a bed and breakfast inn that showcased a birding paradise. But they would turn from Innkeeper to Keepers of a different kind when one day neighborhood girls brought them "An orphaned three toed sloth" who they would give the name Buttercup. Eventually dozens of sloths arrived at the center, when the community learned of the couple's care and study of Buttercup and other "three and two towed sloths" who were found abandoned or injured.
Today, Buttercup sits for visitors to see on her special "Queen Chair" and even offers a handshake as if to say, "thanks for stopping by and yes, I started it all"
As a visitor to the refuge, you can take a magical boat trip of the area's birding paradise, enjoy lunch and an educational lecture about the sloth and their peril due to their changing environment. "In some cases, deforestation forces starving mothers to abandon their babies and search for new homes. Sometimes people kill the mothers out of fear or ignorance or cruelty. Sometimes mothers are poisoned by agro-chemical and fertilizers and sometimes the babies and the mothers are simply to afraid to retrieve them for fear of people and dogs." * In any event, the orphaned babies raised in captivity will never have the skills necessary to survive in the forest and must live in the sanctuary since Mom teaches them what they need to know to survive.
So here we have one couple, without government funding, that decided to do something. Just do something. They began a foundation and tours to support care of the sloths and now have 14 full-time employees and numerous volunteers acting as guardians of these incredible creatures who are faced with the perils of development.
So, what's the skinny on sloths? Here's perhaps a few facts you might not be aware of:
1. They are not bears and they are not lazy! They are members of the Xenarthra order, along with armadillos and anteaters.
2. They have staying power....They have been around for 60 million years! Longer than any business I know. That's adaptability.
3. They are not all the same. Get your Three-Toed and Two Toed Sloths Right. Visit the center and learn about the important differences.
4. They have Skills against Predators. They smell like vegetation which serves as a form of camouflage and yes, they move slowly in daylight, but at night they can move swiftly when need be.
5. They don't take alot of bathroom breaks! In fact they only leave the tree-tops once a week for that function. PS: They don't smoke either. Talk about productivity.
One cannot visit the rescue center without a sense of responsibility to these amazing and gentle creatures. What can you do to help? 1) While in Costa Rica, rescue a sloth when you see them on dangerous roadways and the center can tell you how. 2) Visit the Center They also have a hotel and gift shop which support their work. 3) Adopt a Sloth this Holiday Season. What could be a more special gift than giving a gift of a Sloth? Since, they don't care much for city living, we recommend that you send a donation to Aviarios Sloth Rescue Center. (You can adopt a sloth for amount of $100 or more) and your recipient will receive a photograph and other goodies which Buttercup has personally approved of.
4) Even though the name implies one of the 7 deadly sins, remember sloths are an amazing gift from nature and deserve our respect love and protection!
Please visit their site today!
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