We want to thank everyone for their continued support after our announcement last month.

Understandably, we’ve received many questions, so we wanted to take this opportunity to clarify a few things. Our organization has never knowingly worked without permits. The Sloth Institute has had multiple permits since our fieldwork began with research permits in 2015. All of which need constant renewal - a process whose efficiency and efficacy depend on those working in that particular government office. Unfortunately, government offices frequently change staff and therefore as do their personal interpretation of procedural rules.

The first rescue center permit we worked under was an extension of the permit from our friends at the Toucan Rescue Ranch in 2018 when we began the Saving Sloths Together program with them. They legally sponsored our first rescue/rehab clinic permissions in Manuel Antonio and in return, we showed them how we release and post-release track sloths at their field site in Sarapiqui, Costa Rica. However, in 2021 we applied to have our own rescue center permit as our protocol was so successful that we knew we needed to expand our facilities to meet the need for injured and orphaned sloths in Manuel Antonio, a need that is sadly growing as more forest gets destroyed in this delicate biodiversity hotspot. That application is the one in which we experienced excessively long, unexpected delays and miscommunications.

Our team has extensively reviewed what we could have done differently and how we should handle the permit process moving forward. This was our first solo rescue center application and we have since learned more about how lengthy the government processes within Costa Rica can be. That being said, making changes in our own behavior is the easy part. Holding others accountable is where we need your help. Our intentions in sharing the public statement and starting the petition were multifaceted:
1. To inform our donors of exactly what happened with as many details as we’re legally allowed to give.
2. To highlight that the permitting system is broken and is not protecting the wild animals that it is intended to protect.
3. To insist that our next permit application be handled more professionally, within the legal framework, and without prejudice.
4. To highlight the exploitation of sloths in Costa Rica and abroad. We firmly believe this never would’ve happened if we were the “Possum Institute” for example. (We love possums too!)
5. To highlight how blindsided and shocked we were by these events and how our team of dedicated Sloth Biologists, Veterinarians, and the sloths themselves, should have been treated with much more care.
6. To try and prevent any more needless sloth suffering! We have been told that at least half of the sloths that were taken are now dead. We believe these deaths are a direct result of the sloths being taken away from our expert care where they were thriving - our protocols have a 90% success rate. 

We appreciate your patience and understanding as we navigate this difficult time. We will try to provide updates as we can, but please know that we are focusing on getting our permit and all of the good work we still do for sloths daily. So, if we don’t address this topic regularly, it’s not because we aren’t working on it behind the scenes but because we need to focus all of our efforts on moving forward and on our mission – enhancing and expanding the welfare and conservation of sloths!