Sanctuary helps Suriname's sloths back to jungle

It’s been a busy three months at Green Heritage Fund Suriname.  Not only was Monique Pool honored in early August for her work with sloths as a ‘CNN Hero’, but we’ve also rescued 25 animals, including three-toed sloths, two-toed sloths and lesser anteaters.  A good number of those animals were healthy enough to be released immediately, but some are still amongst us.  

The GHFS nursery is in full swing these days with a total of 5 sloths under the age of one year, the ‘baby brigade’.  One new addition is Baby Haganah, who came to us at the tender age of less than one week.  A good samaritan saved the baby after hearing that her mother was killed and eaten.   Raising sloths this young is not easy and survival is never guaranteed.  Luckily, Baby Haganah accepted goat milk from a tiny bottle and eventually caught on to eating leaves with a little help from her peers. After two weeks she now has a friend for the day, and a friend for the night, and sometimes stays with yet another of the other orphans. They find consolence in holding onto each other and teach each other crucial survival and daily routine skills, such as pooping together.   A new rehabilitation center will be especially important for these young animals to have a chance at life in the wild, as they need to develop essential survival skills in as natural an environment as possible. 

While the joy of young lives keeps our spirits high, sometimes the truth is that we cannot save all animals.  Such is the case with Charles, who was picked up in early August only to pass away 24 hours later.  Charles may have been kept as a pet, as his nails showed signs of trauma.  He was severely dehydrated when we received him and it’s possible his kidneys had shut down.  His unnecessary death inspires us to continue the mission of grassroots community education, reiterating that ‘wild animals belong in the wild’. 

On a more positive note, we are grateful to many Surinamese people who have called us to report animals in trouble, and to several community volunteers who have even helped sloths in danger across the road while out and about.   We also had the great pleasure of having two volunteers, Amanda and Tabitha, from the Bronx NYC.  In addition, a big thanks and sloth hugs to all donors who help us move closer to our goal of a new rehabilitation center every day.