Sloths are notoriously slow. Five percent of the world’s sloths reside in Costa Rica. With such a large percentage of animals in such a small, concentrated area, the chances of seeing a sloth in the wild are much higher. So, it is no surprise to Costa Ricans when a sloth traffic jam results from the critters trying to cross the road.
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Costa Ricans have adopted the sloth as the tiny country’s unofficial ambassador. The slower-than-molasses animal with the perpetual smile is adorable. The tourism board has created marketing campaigns focusing on sloths’ laid-back and relaxed nature. You might notice they skillfully neglected to mention the frequent sloth traffic jams one might encounter.
The sloths in Costa Rica are Hoffmann’s two-toed sloth, which is nocturnal (night), and the diurnal (day) brown three-toed sloth. Visitors can spot the critters literally hanging around in the trees simply by walking around in parks, near the beaches, or on the roads during a frequently occurring sloth traffic jam.
If you would rather have a sloth encounter within a controlled environment, you can visit one of several sloth sanctuaries. Monteverde Cloud Forest, Corcovado National Park, and La Selva Biological Station are among many. Each has unique offerings, so if you want to cuddle a sloth, please check the information for each location, as not all permit physical contact with the animals.
You have two choices if you find yourself in a sloth traffic jam. Reach into your lunchbox and enjoy the break from travel with a quick snack, or help the sloth cross the road. Although the sloth would prefer you leave it alone and enjoy a snack, most don’t mind occasional human assistance.
Please share if this touched upon your inner sloth.
You can find the source of this story’s featured image here.
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