On November 18th, locals in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica saw a rare sight: A baby two-fingered sloth clinging to the back of an older three-fingered sloth.
Unfortunately, there was no mother nearby, and the two-fingered sloth was far too young to survive on her own. So The Sloth Institute, a local nonprofit dedicated to rescuing and rehabilitating sloths, stepped in to help.
“That’s when Taylor, affectionately named after Taylor Swift by our team, arrived at The Sloth Institute to begin her rehabilitation journey,” the nonprofit explained on its website.
“Without her mother’s constant warmth, protection, and guidance, she needed round-the-clock care to survive. But from day one, Taylor showed us she was a fighter.”
Her progress came in small steps, first taking a bottle “with enthusiasm,” before diving “right in” to solid foods and munching on fresh leaves to her heart’s content.
“Even better? She’s gaining weight beautifully!” The Sloth Institute wrote. “Every gram matters when you’re a baby sloth, and Taylor is hitting all the right milestones.”
Beyond medical care and food, Taylor needed something else: Companionship.
“We pair orphaned baby sloths together for the rehabilitation process because it helps them to have the comfort of another sloth, as well as aiding in the development of appropriate social skills,” the nonprofit explained in an Instagram post last December. “They would normally be with their moms still at such a young age.”
But Taylor didn’t have to wait long for a friend.
“Within a couple of weeks of her arrival, two other juvenile sloths came into our care: Travis (yes, we went there) and Opi, short for Opalite,” The Sloth Institute said, cheekily referring to Taylor Swift’s real-life fiancé, Travis Kelce, and her “The Life of a Showgirl” single.
Together, the three sloths were the newest students at the “Sloth School,” a program designed to help orphaned sloths learn crucial life skills.
“In Sloth School, Taylor will learn essential survival skills such as how to find the right leaves to eat, how to navigate the forest canopy, how to recognize predators, and how to be… well, a sloth,” The Sloth Institute shared.
Taylor and her classmates all get along in class, but The Sloth Institute quickly noted a special bond between Taylor and Travis.
“Taylor meeting orphaned baby sloth Travis for the first time,” the nonprofit shared in a throwback video. “Luckily, she was in her Lover Era, and it was love at first sight.”
The Taylor Swift memes and references have helped The Sloth Institute grow its following, and they’ve used the opportunity to teach new followers about sloth conservation and rehabilitation.
“When the time comes, we’ll release Taylor back into the wild where she belongs,” they said. “That’s the goal for every sloth who comes through our doors — to return to the wild.”
In addition to their rewilding missions, The Sloth Institute has been fighting to stop private sloth ownership in the United States, an issue that gained international attention when more than 50 sloths died of negligence at Sloth World Orlando.
In early May, Sam Trull, the co-founder and executive director of The Sloth Institute, met directly with policymakers and officials to advocate for stronger protections for sloths in the U.S.
On May 13, Florida wildlife officials announced a temporary halt on sloth imports.
“This temporary pause is an important first step, but our work is far from over,” The Sloth Institute wrote on Instagram.
“This moment shows what is possible when science, experts, journalists, policymakers, and the public come together to demand change.”
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Header image via The Sloth Institute
