A 3 toed Sloth mission to find just the right tree - Villa Toucan, Punta Uva

 

 have heard and read that the only time a sloths comes down a tree is to go to the bathroom. This is not the case. 

While sitting having my coffee in the porch at Villa Toucan, I noticed a 3 toed sloth in one of the trees by the house. I watched him climb along the branch to the tip to eat some leaves then back to the trunk of the tree.  He was heading down the tree. It is known that sloths come down the tree once a week to do their business then head right back up. I watched him come down then disappear from my sight into the brushes at the base of the tree. 

  A little while later I noticed him heading up a different tree close to the one he had just come from. I watched as he climbed up, investigating each of the branches on the tree. He climbed to the end of each one then back. He must not of been happy with this tree because he was now heading back down. 

  At this point I needed to get a little closer to see what he was going to do. He went all the way down and started climbing through the low brushes just off the ground.  He came to an area that was open and crawled across the ground to the base of another tree. This is when the cat took notice and went for a closer look. Neither one seemed all that interested in one another but it was surprising to me to see them together. 
 

This tree was not where he wanted to be and he was once again took to the ground crawling along right towards us.

This was the first time I have seen a sloth crawling along the ground and so close.  

It was amazing to see. We stayed very still. 

At one point it looked like he was going to crawl right to George. Give him a big sloth hug. He didn't seem to notice us at all as he moved right past us to the short brushes in front of the retaining wall. He was now sort of trapped with the wall behind him, brushes to short to climb, and no tree. 

 

 

 

He seemed to have a mission and continued on through the brushes to the end of the wall. Now what? 

 

He climbed the wall and sat on top taking a much needed break. It had  been about 2 hours now since he has been on the move. 

 

All he had was a red palm in front of him and he was having trouble reaching for it. We could see his chest moving hard like he was out of breathe. I have never seen a sloth move so much so it was hard to say but he seemed to be out of steam. 

 We stayed far from him giving him space, watching as he rested. A sloth sitting on a wall is not something you see often at least I don't think so.

  After a bit he started reaching for the red Palm and finally was able to get hold. Now climbing the palm to the top he started testing the branches of a big tree next to it. 

  He was careful, testing his weight on the branch before letting go of the palm. I felt certain he was going to fall out of the tree. After testing many branches he found the one that would hold him and into the tree he went. 

 

It was a good distance he traveled to be in just the spot he wanted. Amazing. Once into the tree we never spotted him again. A weeks nap was in his future.

It was an incredible morning at Villa Toucan.