Rescue in the Rainforest

Snow White lay still on the forest floor. The tiny sloth was ice-cold, her breathing weak.  

All alone, she was dangerously close to death. 

Only months before, Snow White had been healthy and happy, wrapped tightly around her mother’s furry chest in the treetops around Manuel Antonio, a national park in Costa Rica. Many sloths like Snow White and her mother make their home in the rainforest there. They live alongside thousands of other creatures. 

As Snow White and her mother snuggled high in the leafy canopy, gold-colored monkeys leapt from tree to tree. Toucans with bright yellow and orange beaks perched in the branches. Spiny-backed iguanas the size of small dogs marched down below. 

When Snow White was about 6 months old, she began to live on her own. She spent her days eating the leaves and fruit of a few trees that her mom had shown her were safe. 

Then disaster struck. 

Snow White’s home was near a hotel. At some point, a tree she depended on for food was likely cut down. Without enough to eat, Snow White began to starve. As she grew thinner and thinner, she became sick. Then a big storm lashed the area, chilling her to the bone. Too weak to hang on, she likely fell from her tree. 

Would Snow White survive?

Snow White lay still on the forest floor. The tiny sloth was ice-cold. Her breathing was weak. 

All alone, she was about to die.

Only months before, Snow White had been healthy and happy, holding onto her mother. They were in the trees around Manuel Antonio National Park in Costa Rica. Many sloths make their home in the rainforest there. They live alongside thousands of other animals. 

Snow White and her mother snuggled in the leafy canopy. Meanwhile, gold-colored monkeys jumped from tree to tree. Toucans with colorful beaks perched in the branches. Iguanas the size of small dogs marched down below. 

When Snow White was about 6 months old, she began to live on her own. She spent her days eating the leaves and fruit of a few trees.

Then disaster struck. 

Snow White lived near a hotel. At some point, a tree she needed for food was likely cut down. Snow White began to starve. She grew thinner and thinner. She became sick. Then a big storm hit the area. Too weak to hang on, she likely fell from her tree. 

Would Snow White survive?

With their goofy smiles, smart-looking eyes, and the slow movements they’re known for, sloths are undeniably cute. So it’s not surprising that they have become celebrities. You can buy sloth T-shirts, calendars, and toys. On TikTok, #sloth has 1 billion views—and counting. 

But sloths are also highly misunderstood. What looks like a smile when we greet them is simply their face. When they stretch out their arms as we come close, it might appear as if they want a hug, but they don’t—they’re actually trying to defend themselves. Being touched by a human causes a sloth’s heart to pump superfast. If that happens over and over again, the stress can lead to death.

Unwanted attention is just one way humans are putting these creatures in danger. Some people take sloths from the wild and sell them as pets, even though that’s against the law in many countries, like Costa Rica, and in many U.S. states. Sloths are wild animals, and they don’t do well in captivity. Most end up dying.

But the greatest threat sloths face is deforestation. Rainforests in Central and South America—the only places in the world where sloths live—are being cut down to make room for farms, homes, and hotels. 

Sloths can’t jump from tree to tree like monkeys. They must be able to reach out and grab a branch to move from one tree to another. When trees are cut down, large gaps are left in the forest. This forces sloths to go down to the ground. There, they can be attacked by jaguars and dogs. Other times, sloths just grab onto whatever they can find, like power lines strung up near the trees. The jolt of electricity can kill the animals. 

What can be done?

Sloths are supercute. Their smiles are goofy. Their eyes look smart. And they’re famous for their slow movements. So it’s not surprising that they have become stars. You can buy sloth T-shirts and toys. On TikTok, #sloth has more than 1 billion views. 

But sloths are also misunderstood. Their faces may look like they’re smiling. But they’re not. Their mouths just look that way. Sloths stretch out their arms when we come close. It might appear that they want a hug. But they don’t. They’re actually trying to defend themselves. Being touched by a person causes a sloth’s heart to beat really fast. If that happens over and over, it can lead to death.

Sloths face many other threats. Some people take sloths from the wild and sell them as pets. But that’s against the law in many countries, like Costa Rica, and in many U.S. states. Sloths are wild animals. They don’t do well in captivity. Most end up dying.

But the greatest threat to sloths is deforestation. Sloths are found only in rainforests in Central and South America. Those forests are being cut down to make room for farms, homes, and hotels. 

Sloths can’t jump from tree to tree like monkeys. They must be able to grab a branch to move from one tree to another. When trees are cut down, large gaps are left in the forest. This forces sloths to go down to the ground. There, they can be attacked by jaguars and dogs. Other times, sloths just grab onto power lines near the trees. The jolt of electricity can kill the animals. 

What can be done?

On May 17, 2021, a hotel worker spotted Snow White’s body in the dirt. Thankfully, he knew exactly what to do: call The Sloth Institute (TSI).

TSI is a special organization where a team of conservationists care for injured and sick sloths. Since 2014, TSI has rescued about 400 sloths. If there was anywhere Snow White could be saved, it was TSI.

After receiving the call, the team at TSI raced to the scene. They gently wrapped Snow White’s frail body in a blanket and rushed her back to TSI. But they didn’t get their hopes up. 

“I didn’t think she would make it,” says Amanda Orens, who cared for Snow White. 

Orens and the rest of the team worked around the clock to save Snow White. They warmed her with heating pads. They fed her sugar because she was too weak even to chew leaves. They gave her medicine to bring her weak body back to health. 

For the first night, Orens stayed by Snow White’s side.

It seemed that the little sloth was doomed.

In May 2021, a hotel worker spotted Snow White’s body in the dirt. Thankfully, he knew what to do: call The Sloth Institute (TSI).

TSI is a special organization. Its team of conservationists care for injured and sick sloths. Since 2014, TSI has rescued about 400 sloths. If there was anywhere Snow White could be saved, it was TSI.

The team at TSI raced to the scene. They gently wrapped Snow White’s frail body in a blanket. They rushed her back to TSI. But they were worried. 

“I didn’t think she would make it,” says Amanda Orens. She cared for Snow White. 

Orens and the others worked around the clock to save Snow White. They warmed her with heating pads. They gave her sugar because she was too weak to chew leaves. They gave her medicine to bring her weak body back to health. 

For the first night, Orens stayed by Snow White’s side.

It seemed that the little sloth was doomed.

But slowly, Snow White began improving. She was able to drink on her own and even nibble on a few leaves. After about a week, she began cleaning herself. It was clear that she had turned a corner. (The team named the little sloth after Snow White because, like the fairy-tale character, she woke up from a deep sleep.)

Now Snow White was ready to start “sloth school,” a program that prepares sloths to return to the wild after being injured or losing their mothers. 

Sloths that come to TSI as babies have a lot to learn before they can be released. If you’re a baby sloth, how do you find food? Where do you sleep? How do you climb safely? 

The team at TSI teaches these important skills in different ways. To help the little ones learn how to find food, the team hangs leaves on a rope so the sloths can practice sniffing and grabbing. To help sloths become comfortable in the forest, the team places them in a large outdoor pen. The sloths then get to spend more and more time outside the pen until they’re ready to stay there for good. 

It can take years for baby sloths to learn how to survive on their own in nature. 

Snow White had already lived for months in the wild with her mom. So her main “job” was simply to grow big and strong. Her caregivers filled her pen with blankets to make her comfortable. They made sure that she had plenty of delicious leaves and fruit to snack on. 

Snow White healed and grew quickly. The team watched her progress with awe.

“She looked like a completely different sloth,” says Orens. “I still can’t get over the transformation.”

But slowly, Snow White began improving. She was able to drink on her own. She was able to chew on a few leaves. After about a week, she began cleaning herself. It was clear that she had turned a corner. (The team named the little sloth after Snow White. That’s because, like the fairy-tale character, the sloth woke up from a deep sleep.)

Now Snow White was ready to start “sloth school.” This program prepares rescued sloths to return to the wild. 

Baby sloths have a lot to learn before they can be released. If you’re a baby sloth, how do you find food? Where do you sleep? How do you climb safely? 

The team at TSI teaches these important skills in different ways. To help the little ones learn how to find food, the team hangs leaves on a rope. The sloths then practice sniffing and grabbing. To help sloths become comfortable in the forest, the team places them in a large outdoor area. The sloths then get to spend more and more time outside the area until they’re ready to stay there for good. 

It can take years for baby sloths to learn how to survive on their own in nature. 

Snow White had already lived for months with her mom. So her main “job” was to grow big and strong. Her caregivers gave her blankets to make her comfortable. They made sure that she had plenty of tasty leaves and fruit to eat. 

Snow White healed and grew quickly. “She looked like a completely different sloth,” says Orens. “I still can’t get over the transformation.”

Snow White was lucky to attend sloth school. But for sloths to be truly safe, the serious threats they face in the wild need to be addressed. Even as a small organization, TSI is taking important steps to protect sloths. The team is helping install devices that keep animals from climbing onto power lines. That can keep sloths safe from touching the deadly wires. 

TSI is also building “sloth speedways”—ropes hanging from tree to tree. Sloths and other animals can use the ropes to travel safely in areas of forests where too many trees have been cut down. 

For sloths to be truly safe, the serious threats they face in the wild need to be addressed. TSI is taking important steps to protect sloths. The team is helping put up devices that keep animals from climbing onto power lines. That can keep sloths safe from touching the deadly wires. 

TSI is also building “sloth speedways.” These are ropes hanging from tree to tree. Sloths and other animals can use the ropes to travel safely in areas of forests where too many trees have been cut down. 

So did Snow White get her fairy-tale ending? After about a month at TSI, she had new fur sprouting all over her body—a key sign of health. She had also put on weight.  As the weeks passed, it became clear she didn’t need any help climbing or finding leaves to eat.

She was ready to leave TSI for good. 

And so on a warm summer day, nine months after she was found on the brink of death, the team put Snow White in a soft cloth bag. They took her to a safe forest not far from TSI. They placed the bag near the trunk of a big tree and opened it. Slowly, Snow White began to climb up. 

“I felt incredibly happy,” Orens says. “I knew with every bone in my body she was going to succeed.” 

Today, thanks to TSI, Snow White is likely living her best life somewhere deep in the rainforest of Costa Rica. 

Healthy. 

Thriving. 

Free. 

So did Snow White get her fairy-tale ending? After about a month at TSI, she had new fur all over her body. That’s a key sign of health. She had also put on weight. 

As the weeks passed, it became clear she didn’t need any help climbing or finding leaves to eat. 

She was ready to leave TSI for good. 

And so nine months after she was found, the team put Snow White in a soft bag. They took her to a safe forest not far from TSI. They placed the bag near the trunk of a big tree and opened it. Slowly, Snow White began to climb up. 

“I felt incredibly happy,” Orens says. “I knew with every bone in my body she was going to succeed.” 

Today, thanks to TSI, Snow White is likely living her best life somewhere deep in the rainforest of Costa Rica. 

Healthy. 

Thriving. 

Free.