Yes, on occasion we can spot a sloth in the trees around our home. And, yes, we have had them in the yard before. However, the family was here as was the rain so a day at the beach was out of the question. We decided instead to hop aboard the local bus and head to Aviarios del Caribe to get an “up close and personal” look at this adorable but often misunderstood animal. Since Aviarios del Caribe is the only sloth refuge and rehabilitation center in the world, and is only 30 minutes away by bus, it sounded like an interesting place to spend the afternoon. Gordie dropped us off at the bus stop where several others were already waiting for the bus. Our intended bus never came. Possibly it was running early and we missed it, possibly the schedule changed due to widespread flooding and washed out bridges. Guess we’ll never know, but luckily a bus did show up an hour later and Steve, Megan, Danny, Robin and I hopped aboard eager to learn everything there was to know about the sloth.
When we arrived at the center we were directed up to the main building where we were informed of the $25 (each) tour fee. I thought I had read that it was free but what can you do -- we had already spent an hour-and-a-half getting there. We paid our fees and boarded a canoe for a lazy trip around the lagoon and along the canals of this 104 acre reserve. We saw several species of birds, some crazy iguanas and lizards, sloths in trees and caimans hiding in the brush. The still waters surrounded by stands of bamboo and covered in jungle vines and foliage made the hour plus ride well worth the admission price. When we returned to the dock we were brought over to a small auditorium where we were shown a movie about sloths. Our guide from this point on was the very knowledgeable grandson of the refuge’s founder.
The majority of the sloths that come here are rehabilitated and returned to the wild as quickly as possible, but due to various injuries and circumstances there are some “long term residents.” We were able to visit with many of these sloths, cage doors open, up-close and personal. It was quite an experience. Our final stop was at the “sloth nursery” where we were able to see several babies that are currently staying at the refuge. The visit was great. The 2-hour return bus trip – well, I hate to change the mood of this happy adventure so I will save that for another story.
When we arrived at the center we were directed up to the main building where we were informed of the $25 (each) tour fee. I thought I had read that it was free but what can you do -- we had already spent an hour-and-a-half getting there. We paid our fees and boarded a canoe for a lazy trip around the lagoon and along the canals of this 104 acre reserve. We saw several species of birds, some crazy iguanas and lizards, sloths in trees and caimans hiding in the brush. The still waters surrounded by stands of bamboo and covered in jungle vines and foliage made the hour plus ride well worth the admission price. When we returned to the dock we were brought over to a small auditorium where we were shown a movie about sloths. Our guide from this point on was the very knowledgeable grandson of the refuge’s founder.
The majority of the sloths that come here are rehabilitated and returned to the wild as quickly as possible, but due to various injuries and circumstances there are some “long term residents.” We were able to visit with many of these sloths, cage doors open, up-close and personal. It was quite an experience. Our final stop was at the “sloth nursery” where we were able to see several babies that are currently staying at the refuge. The visit was great. The 2-hour return bus trip – well, I hate to change the mood of this happy adventure so I will save that for another story.
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