VERSIÓN en ESPAÑOL AQUÍ

Dear Supporters and Friends,

For the past decade we have worked tirelessly to improve the lives of sloths by keeping them wild, studying their behavioral ecology and improving their natural habitats. Throughout these years we have created the most successful protocol for rehabilitating and releasing sloths in Costa Rica. We have also firmly stood up against those entities that seek to remove them from the wild for human entertainment purposes.

Unfortunately, the desire to exploit sloths is strong due to their popularity. There is a lot of money to be made by removing sloths from the wild and using them for profit. For those that wish to make money off of captive sloths, we have always known we pose a threat. We stand for everything that they don’t. We make every decision based on what’s best for the sloths and their environment, not on what strokes a human ego.

We knew that standing up for what’s right and seeking justice for sloths wouldn’t be easy and that it could create some enemies. But what we weren’t anticipating was unethical and unscientific decision making within certain entities of the Costa Rican government. For the past year and a half we have been trying to receive our operating permit as a rescue center. We followed all instructions and did what we were told yet we were continuously met with a lack of responsiveness or mixed messages from high authorities.

We trusted those in SINAC (National System of Conservation Areas) that advised us on how to proceed with the permit request and we expected that they had the sloths best interests in mind. We continued to help sloths in need. Why would we stop doing our jobs and let sloths die just because authorities weren’t doing their jobs? In addition, there has been a tacit relationship with authorities such as SINAC, who gave us an electrocuted sloth as recently as December 17th, 2022, indicating they knew we were needed because of our Center’s characteristics and our knowledge. We have a moral obligation to help sloths who are dying due to human encroachment in their habitat and we have always worked under that premise.

As a complete shock, and after holding continuous conversations with government authorities who kept indicating our permitting process and way of operating was correct, on February 22nd 2023, SINAC officials intimidated us with an assault rifle to allow the removal of the sloths in recuperation from our facilities. The most concerning part was they unilaterally decided to allow the owners of Barnhill Preserve (with a long list of USDA violations including sloth neglect) to physically remove all of our rehabilitating sloths (12) so they could take them to their Costa Rican facility (Kids Saving the Rainforest - KSTR). This is a facility where tourists are allowed to enter the cages as “day volunteers” and feed rescued sloths after paying a fee. They removed sloths from the most successful rehabilitation and release program in Costa Rica to put them in a place that doesn’t have the expertise or resources to provide them with proper care or rewilding. We have been told at least two of our sloths have already died since being in custody in KSTR.

While this news is tragic and our team has been traumatized by this miscarriage of justice, we assure you we will never stop fighting to help sloths! This catastrophe is just more proof that sloths are not safe. Our legal team is working to correct the mistakes made and get our rescue center permit. Thanks to generous donations we are planning the construction of our brand new clinic and nursery for future sloth patients.

In the meantime, we are still working to help sloths in need through our habitat protection and education programs as well as through collaborations with other researchers and facilities around the Americas. Now that, to our knowledge, there are no other ethical wildlife rescue centers or sanctuaries in the Manuel Antonio/Quepos area, we are providing resources and expertise needed to help the increase of new sloth patients at other facilities in Costa Rica. We are also increasing our research collaborations with universities and other sloth experts like The Sloth Conservation Foundation.

We need your support now more than ever! If you believe sloths are wild animals that should be treated with proper specialized care and returned to the wild then join us in calling for the government to do the right thing! Help us stop sloth exploitation and make your voices heard!  

Pictured is Tilly. She was rescued from the illegal selfie trade for sloths here in Costa Rica. Many people would say someone like Tilly never could have been released because of her time spent in the pet trade. However, because of our program, Tilly has been living wild and free for 4 years now and just weaned a third wild baby. 

Thank you for your support and for truly loving sloths for the individuals that they are, not the entertainment value that they provide.

Based on the above we demand the following:

1. Investigation into the SINAC officials that made the decision to put sloths in the custody of American owners who have multiple USDA violations including sloth neglect and who have stated on social media their lack of ability to properly care for sloths in captivity along with a lack of knowledge about basic sloth biology.
 
2. Investigation into KSTR for the unnecessary deaths of the sloths in their care.
 
3. For the government of Costa Rica to take action against tourist encounters with wildlife that happen regularly at KSTR.
 
4. For SINAC officials to respond to our next rescue center permit application without prejudice and in the legally allowed time-frame; not with the undue delays and lack of communication suffered thus far.
 
5. For the confiscated sloths to be immediately moved to a facility with more sloth experience and a higher survival rate in sloth rehabilitation -  where TSI sloth experts can help advise on their care to hopefully prevent more deaths.

*If you would like to donate to our cause, please visit our website.