Source: Sloth Institute

Nature’s Miracle Orphans, a special program produced for the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), has twice visited Costa Rica to tell the story of Monster, a female sloth rescued by primatologist Sam Trull of the Sloth Institute, located in Manuel Antonio.

The BBC program is an observational documentary series following orphaned baby animals and the dedicated people that rescue, rehabilitate and release them back into the wild. In Costa Rica, the show’s host Patrick Aryee meets Monster, an orphaned sloth, who was found by the roadside alone and scared. Ms. Trull put Monster through a “boot camp” for sloths, to see if she has the skills to return to the wild.

BBC viewers smitten by Monster will probably like the following update by Ms. Trull on this miracle orphaned sloth:

I am so proud to tell you that Monster is in the process of being released! She is living inside of a large (6x6x6 Meter) soft release cage with her friend Piper. She has been living in this release cage for the past few months getting acclimated to the weather, smells, sounds and food that she will be eating once free.

 

Next week she will be fitted with her very own VHF tracking collar which will ensure that my Sloth Institute research assistants will be able to find her any time of day or night. Research staff members spend hours every single day collecting wild leaves for Monster and Piper to eat so that they know what to eat once outside and free. In about a month the door to her release cage will be opened so she is free to come and go as she pleases. She will be monitored 24/7 by my research staff who will be recording her behaviors, postures, height in canopy, tree species, size of tree etc.

 

Simultaneously, we are also monitoring wild three toed sloths at the release site around Monster’s age…so we have comparison data to know if Monster is behaving and eating like a wild three toed sloth….or if she has room for improvement! The wild data is crucial to be able to evaluate Monster’s progress through the process of her soft release.

 

On a more personal note I am SO proud of Monster, natures amazing miracle sloth. She went from a tiny insecure 2 week old miracle orphan who cried herself to sleep, to a confident, 2 year old young sloth who loves nothing more than being high in the trees and searching for leaves to eat. She is gorgeous and she doesn’t need me anymore….which is one of the most bittersweet feelings….

 

I miss the times we spent together in the nursery…but I am so grateful that she has made it this far and finally has that second chance to live a wild life that she so deserves. My dream for the past 2 years has been to see her released into the rainforest canopy. Now that her release is actually happening…my newest dream is to see her with her own baby one day…at that point I think I can actually exhale…knowing that my miracle baby girl has finally made it back home.