We see sloths at ECOTICA all the time. Most days they are high in the trees, hanging still or moving so slowly you have to look twice. One rainy day, one of them decided to come down and join us.
A guest under the tables
It was raining, and the bar at YOLO Social was a nice dry place to be. Apparently the sloth thought so too. An adult sloth came in from the trees and made its way under the tables, taking its time, the way sloths do.
The guests loved it. People stopped what they were doing, watched him move across the floor, and took a few pictures. For a while he was the most popular guest in the room.
Getting him back to the trees
A bar is no place for a sloth, so he couldn’t stay. Lisa, one of ECOTICA’s owners, was here that day. One of our maintenance team showed her how to hold him safely from behind, at the back of the head, away from his claws.
That was the easy part. He had a strong grip on the table and didn’t want to let go. Slowly, one hand at a time, they loosened his claws. Then they carried him out onto the property and set him on a big tree. He climbed up and went on his way, free.
Our closest sloth moment
We share the property with many sloths and see them often. We’ve had a few close encounters over the years, but this one was the closest. It was a first-hand moment none of us will forget, and the guests who were there still talk about it.
If you meet a sloth
- Enjoy it from a distance. Don’t touch, pick up or feed a sloth. They are wild animals, and their claws are strong.
- If a sloth is on the ground or in a busy spot at ECOTICA, tell our staff instead of trying to move it yourself.
- No flash, and keep your voice low. Sloths stress easily.
Want to know more? Read our guide to sloths in Manuel Antonio, the wildlife guide, or see our wildlife and nature tours.
