Meet the Sloth, Fuzzy Potato! 

General Information

Sex: Male
Birthday: Nov 16th
Location: Santa Ana, Costa Rica
Found: Found on the ground clinging to his mother on the outskirts of a neighborhood
Blanket Color: Teal
Surrogate Stuffy: Winnie the Whale Shark

Likes & Dislikes

Likes:
- following Sir Bean everywhere he goes
- cuddle time with the other baby sloths
- sneaking into the other sloths' buckets -
heat packs

Dislikes:
- Big scary animals
- rainy, cold weather
- being alone
- doctor check ups

Fuzzy Potato's Story

Fuzzy Potato was found on the ground clinging to his mother near the end of a neighborhood in Santa Ana, Costa Rica. When some residents of the area called the rescue center, they mentioned that they had seen the baby and the mom huddled on the floor in the morning and got concerned when they had not moved by the afternoon. It looked like the mother had wounds. When the rescuers arrived, the mom and baby were cold and wet from the rainy weather outside, and the mother was dazed and lethargic–an unnatural state for a sloth that is threatened. Upon examination in an emergency check up, the mother had multiple puncture wounds and scratches around her body and was in critical conditions. 

Fuzzy Potato was moved to a separate space to have multiple scratches on his back treated as well, and then was placed in an incubator to help him warm up. Sadly, Fuzzy Potato’s mother did not make it. Fuzzy Potato moved to the nursery and met his new bucket and cuddle buddy, Sir Bean. Together they keep each other warm and comforted as they grow up alongside their orphaned baby friends. Fuzzy Potato healed well from his wound and is now stronger than ever. Each day he gets closer and closer to a life back in the trees!

Fuzzy Potato in the Real World

Pet dogs have become a real problem for many wild animal species, including the sloth. According to The Sloth Conservation Foundation, dogs are the second leading cause of death of sloths. Sloths, more than most animals, are incredibly at risk for being attacked by dogs, as they are not meant to move efficiently on the ground and cannot protect themselves from dogs when crawling. According to a study completed in 2017, domesticated dogs played a large role in the extinction of 11 different wildlife species and pose a threat to roughly 188 different wildlife species worldwide (30 of these being labeled “critically endangered”).

"The 'Sloth Dilemma' image captured by Suzi Eszterhas in Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, Costa Rica. The image shows an encounter between a brown-throated sloth and a dog" - Newsweek

While there are a few different reasons domestic dogs pose a threat to wildlife, the largest documented reason is predation (dog attacks) at roughly 80% of the total types of impact. Now this does not mean that you should not have a dog, but it means that we need to be more responsible about taking care of our pets. In a blog titled, “My Promise to Sloths,” Founder of Toucan Rescue Ranch, Leslie Howle discusses one of the worst sloth rescues she’s encountered, where a mother and baby sloth had been brutally attacked by a dog.

Despite doing as much emergency surgery as they could, the vets could not save the mother, and the baby became an orphaned rescue in their critical care nursery. Sadly, this is the story for many of the baby sloths brought into rescue centers. Rescue centers bring in around 2-3 animals a week on average that have been attacked by dogs. (To read more about the intensity of the work that the sloth rescue team does, check out the link under her blog title in the credits)

Photos of rescued baby and mother by Toucan Rescue Ranch's rescue team. "My Promise to Sloths," Toucan Rescue Ranch Blog, Leslie Howle (Founder of TRR)

What Can You Do to Help? 

Support 'Oh My Dog!'
Neutering dogs makes a BIG difference! According to The Sloth Conservation Foundation, neutering dogs can help lower the amount of stray and feral dogs living in the streets. Their project, Oh My Dog! works to plant trees, create more wildlife crossings, sterilize stray dogs, and raise awareness about responsible dog ownership. A good way to help reduce the issue of dog attacks is to donate to projects such as this!  slothconservation.org/oh-my-dog

Practice Responsible Pet Ownership
If you have a pet, especially a dog, make sure to practice responsible dog ownership. This includes making sure your pet is on a leash in public places, neutering your dog, and learning more about how to protect the wildlife in your area.

Credits & Links