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The Animal Sanctuary is home to three beautiful, slow-moving, two-toed sloths. All of them have been rescued by the Wildlife Ministry of Costa Rica and put in our care. Two-toed sloths are native to the Guanacaste area but these three were rescued outside of the province. Sloths are very delicate creatures due to their slow metabolism, so nursing them back to health is a challenge in itself.

Due to more media awareness, many people became fascinated with sloths and International Sloth Day was created. This special day was designed to raise awareness about the sloth life cycle and natural habitat as well as, educate people about this loveable animal.

The following are stories about our resident sloths:

DIESEL

Diesel is three years old and was rescued when he was just a baby sloth. He was brought in to a rescue center within a bag that smelled like diesel – hence the name. He suffered severe skin burns and infections due to the exposure to the substance. In fact, it is a small miracle that he is alive today. Fighting infections and diseases is a hard process for sloths. Infections tend to spread faster than what their immune system can fight. For Diesel to be able to bounce back, as a baby sloth, at such a young age shows his resilient nature!

Fun facts about Diesel:

• Loves to eat green beans and doesn’t like carrots
• He is the smallest (in size) and youngest of our three sloths
• Diesel can usually be found toward the bottom of the trees
• He will reach sexual maturity at around 4 to 5 years old

Shown in picture: Diesel during feeding time.

MIA

Mia loving her nap spot.

As sloths go, Mia has a very distinct personality! She was found in a very bad health state of dehydration and malnutrition in the province of Limon (Caribbean Coast). She was transferred to the Costa Rica Sloth Sanctuary located in this area for immediate help. The Sloth Sanctuary works to rescue, rehabilitate, and, if possible, liberate injured sloths. After Mia’s rehabilitation was done, it was determined that she could not be released due to high exposure to human contact and dependency. Given this situation, the right authorities were contacted for relocation to a sloth sanctuary that could provide the best habitat and living conditions for her long-term. And as so, Mia became part of the Diamante family. She is currently 4 years old.

Fun fact about Mia:

• She will eat anything in her path
• Loves to hang on the treetops and sunbath
• Usually comes down to eat at midday or grab a snack around 10:30 am.
• Doesn’t like her naps disturbed and will ignore everything, even food!

LUCY

Our most widely-known and asked for sloth is Lucy. Her popularity comes with reason. She is the friendliest and most show-off of the three sloths. She is a seven-year-old, blonde color sloth and loves to come down to eat in front of people during the daily 9:30 am feeding. Lucy was found and rescued in San Jose, the capital city, with burns on her hands and feet from electrical wires. One of the biggest threats to sloths near towns and cities are the electrical cables that run through their habitats. If and when they decide to move, they prefer to do so hanging from branches than coming down to the ground; therefore they would rather risk crossing an electrical cable than strolling on the ground.

Fun facts about Lucy:

• Lucy only likes sweet potatoes and SOMETIMES will eat carrots if they are up to her standard
• She is the largest and oldest of the three sloths
• She has motherly instincts towards Diesel and is always close to him
• Doesn’t like rain and will always look for cover

Lucy coming down for the morning feeding

Visit Diamante’s sloths

If you want to visit sloths in Costa Rica, this is your perfect opportunity. Diamante’s sloths are in an open habitat, where you can get a close view of them. We have daily feedings at 9:30 am, 12:30 pm and 3:30 pm in which our caretaker will educate you about them. The following passes will allow you to experience The Animal Sanctuary.

• Discovery Pass ($42): Entrance to the Animal Sanctuary. A self-guided tour in which you will learn about the wildlife in Costa Rica and the conservation efforts that take place in this country.
• Adventure Pass ($118): all day adventure pass! It includes the zip line tour, animal sanctuary entrance, cultural experience at the botanical gardens, beach activities such as stand up paddle board, kayak, and snorkel, and it includes a Costa Rican buffet lunch with an amazing ocean view.

Pura Vida!