To help keep rescued sloths safe, we've funded the construction of four enclosures in Colombia that will serve as small habitats for rehabilitating sloths
In December of last year, a male three-toed sloth was brought to AIUNAU, a rehabilitation center in Caldas, Colombia.
Hes arrived at the sanctuary at barely three months old, found by a truck driver on the side of the road in Ecuador.
AIUNAU has discovered that he had some respiratory problems, but otherwise seems to be recovering well in his new home.
AIUNAU enclosures
To keep rescued sloths safe we've funded the construction of four enclosures that will serve as small habitats for them.
The habitats have been carefully designed to provide the best care and freedom, with plenty of food and large tree canopies in which to hide.
Although the enclosures have been built and designed to rehabilitate adult sloths, each new habitat can receive either four juvenile sloths, or one adult sloth. This means that the recently rescued sloth will likely have company in his new home very soon.
These are the current sloth enclosures at the AIUNAU foundation, they are made with a natural dirt and grass floor, trees and branches to climb and explore. Photo courtesy of World Animal Protection
Specialized care and veterinary treatement will ensure that young rescued sloths are monitored and given proper nutrition as they transitions into adulthood. Once mature and healthy enough, they will be released back into their wild home.
Rehabilitating sloths
Often, sloths suffer from anxiety after being torn from their mothers at a young age.
To mediate this anxiety, each baby sloth at the rehabilitation center is placed in their own wicker basket, full of soft blankets to simulate the warmth and protection of their mothers.
These enclosures are are filled with natural dirt and a grass floor, trees and branches to climb and explore and a clear roof to allow them to see the natural environment all around, but to keep them warm and safe from the elements until they are big enough to survive by themselves.
La Negrita (hidden) and Machito (front), two toed sloths at the AIUNAU foundation. Photo by World Animal Protection
The other three enclosures are scheduled to be built later this year; a second Caldas, and another two in a pre-release location on a forested ranch in the state of Cordoba.
Click here to sign up and recieve email updates, where you'll get further updates on the progress of these sancturary in the coming months.