Tag Archives: Costa Rica

Costa Rica. Amazing Place.

It’s been just under three weeks since the husband and I got back from our incredible honeymoon overseas in Mexico and Costa Rica. Now, Costa Rica. Let me tell you. It is the most beautiful, green place, filled with wildlife and friendly people. I highly recommend you add it to the Bucket List.

The best thing of all? IT HAS SLOTHS. LOTS OF SLOTHS. I got to see wild sloths. Baby sloths. Sloths eating. Sloths sleeping. Sloths climbing. Three-toed sloths. Two-toed sloths. I am so, so happy. Talk about dreams coming true.

This little coconut was poking its head up at us when we visited The Toucan Rescue Ranch in Heredia. I cried. I’m not ashamed to admit it.

Coconut sloth

 

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First Grade Class “Adopts” Sloths to Teach About Rainforest Conservation

The Sloth Institute together with Kids Saving the Rainforest announces the Elementary School Sloth Challenge, inspired by Ms. Megan Yang, 1st grade teacher at West Point Elementary in Surprise, Arizona. Ms. Yang believes in teaching students at a young age about conservation.

“I am using the “adoption” of a sloth as a way to educate students about sloths as well as rainforest conservation. I am hoping by “adopting” Chuck, this will help them become personally invested in rainforest conservation and teach them that if you love wildlife you should keep them in the wild and not as pets”, said Ms. Yang.

Teachers and their classes can join the October “challenge” to honor Sloth International Day, by “adopting” a sloth and submitting an anti pet (sloth) trade slogan thereby bringing awareness to children about the importance of conservation and anti pet trade policies. To “Adopt a Sloth” and participate in the #elementaryslothchallenge, go to http://www.theslothinstitutecostarica.org/adopt-a-sloth/ and request an e-certificate. The class with the best anti pet trade slogan will win a 20 minute skype session with Sam Trull (featured in the recent PBS Special, “Natures Miracle Orphans”) and an orphaned baby sloth being prepared for release.

Full story here.

cutesloth

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Lonely Planet Costa Rica

How cool is it that the Lonely Planet travel guide for Costa Rica has a cute wee babeh sloth on the book cover?! I spied one in the window of an outdoorsy shop this afternoon. LonelyPlanetScreen Shot 2015-09-24 at 9.32.57 pm

If you’re interested in reading up about Costa Rica, the book is available here!

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Interactions Between a Sloth and a Brown Jay

Published this month in the journal Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment is a new observation that brown jays feast on the moths and other insects that live within a sloth’s fur.

A sloth’s fur is full of moths, insects, algae and fungi. The moths use the sloth’s travelling ecosystem to find mates and lay their eggs. The sloth also eats the algae that grows on itself as a supplement to its diet. Hence the pilfering by brown jays might not be such a welcome addition to this little ecosystem.

However, due to the abundance of parasites that also lives in sloth fur, the birds may be doing them a favour. In addition, brown jays may alert the sloth to presence of predators in the area, giving them a heads-up, as generally they are very slow to respond.

Understanding how organisms interact through natural history and descriptive ecological research can help us make important scientific advancements and practice conservation more effectively.

 

slothbrownjay

Read the entire article here.

 

 

 

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SLOTH KONG

Sloth Kong has taken over Juan Santamaría International Airport to wish visitors a good trip home – and a quick return – after their stays in Costa Rica. Once passengers have checked their bags, they are encouraged to take a photo with Sloth Kong and share it on Facebook with the hashtag #SlothKong.slothkongairport

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Locket the baby sloth

“[Locket’s] first moments in life were spent face down on a forest floor…covered in dirt and without his mother to clean him or feed him.”

Locket is one of the success stories of the Sloth Institute of Costa Rica, although other baby sloths aren’t so lucky. A first-hand write up on the “best and worst” of 2014 at the Sloth Institute can be read here. I encourage you to please go and check out this article and their website. Sloths aren’t just a cute little face and funny mannerisms. They need our love and support to be around for generations to come.

primatography baby locketImage from Primatography.com

 

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