Have you all noticed in recent years that sloths are plastered on everything? You can buy sloth tee shirts, backpacks, knickknacks, and wall decor. BBC showed clips of sloths swimming island to island in search of a mate and people travel to far off destinations to hopefully a sloth in the wild. While being a charismatic species can have its perks, there are also serious ramifications. We have to ask, what threats are sloths currently facing and how can we keep these slow-mode mammals around?
In this episode, I’m chatting with Sam Trull, the Co-founder of The Sloth Institute in Manual Antonia, Costa Rica and author of Sloth Love. Sam first fell in love with lemurs as a young girl, but after working at the Duke Lemur Center for 12 years and experiencing some life turmoil, she realized that working with animals in captivity was no longer fulfilling. She began traveling and worked in primate conservation around the world. After teaching a primate course and taking a job as a vet tech in Costa Rica, she discovered her absolute love of sloths and knew she needed to find a way to rescue, rehabilitate, and release sloths. Her pursuit led to the founding of The Sloth Institute. Sam and I had a passionate conversation about all of the threats sloths are facing, plus how all of us in the world can help these highly adaptive, super cute critters.
Alright, everyone. Here is my conversation with Sam:
Watch this episode on YouTube.
Links & Resources
Sam’s Website
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samtrull/
The Sloth Institute
Website: http://www.theslothinstitutecostarica.org/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theslothinstitute/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theslothinstitute
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theslothinstitute?
Twitter: https://twitter.com/slothinstitute
Donate: https://tsi.charity.org/
Locations Mentioned in the Episode
Tulemar Resort: https://www.tulemarresort.com/
Parador Resort & Spa: https://hotelparador.com/
Si Como No Resort & Wildlife Refuge: https://www.sicomono.com/
Gaia Hotel & Nature Reserve: https://www.gaiahr.com/
Documentaries
Nature’s Miracle Orphans, BBC: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/1gJWrLkxZl2j3tjPZv2CYG1/sam-trull
Books
Slothlove by Sam Trull: https://www.amazon.com/Slothlove-Sam-Trull/dp/1941758495
Contacting Sam
You can reach Sam by emailing her: sam@theslothinstitute.org.
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