Sloth Rehab - Toucan Rescue Ranch, Costa Rica

Rescued baby sloths (perezosos in Spanish) curl up in buckets, climb and nap in the nursery at Toucan Rescue Ranch, near Heredia in Costa Rica's Central Valley, where they're cared for until they're strong enough to go back to the wild.

The ranch was founded in 2004, and its first mammal, a two-fingered sloth, arrived in 2007. Many sloths come in after being hit by cars, electrocuted on power lines or taken as pets, or after losing their mothers.

Once they're ready, the sloths move to a soft-release site in the forests of Sarapiquí, where they learn to live in the wild again. Since 2018 the ranch has used tracking equipment to follow them after release.

Did You Know? Sloths move so slowly that algae can grow in their fur, giving some of them a greenish color that helps them hide in the trees.

See more rescued animals live, explore the Zoos and Aquariums collection, browse live webcams in Costa Rica, or explore our Live Webcam Map.