Our story

When the 1991 Limón earthquake shook our home to the ground, we rebuilt it as a small hotel. We offered tours of our rain forest home and island, showcasing over 300 of the 850 bird species found in Costa Rica. We were delighted with our new life as proprietors of a lovely little Boutique Hotel in the midst of our own piece of paradise. Our destiny was completely and irrevocably changed in 1992 when three neighbor girls brought us a wee surprise – an orphaned, three-fingered sloth.

We named her Buttercup. Finding very little useful information about sloths, we learned from experience – and a very hefty dose of common sense! Then, another sloth arrived. And another. Before long, we became known as authorities on sloth rescue and rearing – and sloths kept coming. Buttercup became the most loved and photographed sloth in the world.

In 1997 we gave in utterly and completely to the sloths. Buttercup had given us a voice. We soon became aware of the epidemic of human threats that were endangering Buttercup’s kin across Costa Rica: habitat loss, electrocution by power lines, traffic injuries and death, hunting, and even senseless violence. We decided to make it our mission to save the sloths! We designated Sloth Island, situated within the sanctuary and fronting the main compound, a Privately Owned Wildlife Refuge and the unofficial rescue center officially became known as Sloth Sanctuary of Costa Rica.  Over the years we have successfully hand-reared more than one hundred orphaned sloths of both kinds, and have even written a chapter in a book for zoos and rehabilitators on hand-rearing of orphaned wild and domestic mammals. Dozens of sloths that arrived at the Sanctuary as adults have been lovingly cared for, rehabilitated and returned to their forest canopy. In 2004 we completed a building that we designated The Learning Center and a year later another building containing a clinic, nursery, quarantine, kitchen and laundry was added to the growing Sloth Sanctuary complex.

The Sloth Sanctuary/Rescue Center education division teaches Costa Rican children to appreciate sloths and their forest ecosystem, and provides a clearing house for information and techniques of sloth care and rearing. As this species is pushed ever closer to the brink, this information is critical.

Some of the future plans for the Sloth Sanctuary include an international veterinary study station with a state-of-the-art equipped hospital, construction of new enclosures to house the growing family of sloths in need of permanent residence, and partnership with rain forest/wildlife researchers worldwide. All this costs money - a great deal of money – which we now obtain through our hotel and tourism activities. But the growing numbers of sloths arriving at the sanctuary need more than we can provide – they need your help. Consider adopting a sloth (or two!), or a bequest for one of our projects or a donation of desperately needed medical equipment. The sloths thank you – slowly, quietly, but most sincerely.

 (Adopt-A-Sloth Program)