The sloth, an animal with a sweet expression and gentle gestures, has an exclusive research centre in Ilhéus (BA).
The 43-hectare reserve currently cares for 16 of the common species and 18 of the collared species.
The differences between the two lie in the colour of their fur and the area in which they occur.
According to the Ministry of the Environment, while the common sloth, which has a greyish coat, can be found in both the Amazon and the Atlantic Rainforest, the collared sloth, which has a brown coat and a nape with long black hairs, occurs in Rio de Janeiro, Espírito Santo and southern Bahia.
Vera Oliveira, the biologist in charge of the research centre, says that all species of sloth are threatened with extinction, but the sloth is in greater danger because it only occurs in a very small and fragmented geographical area.
For the preservation and reintroduction of rescued sloths that have suffered aggression, two factors are essential: preserved habitat and adequate food.
‘Their areas of occurrence are diminishing more and more. They are becoming weak because natural food is scarce due to the advance of eucalyptus plantations in these regions,’ Vera warns.
The biologist also points out that the number of rescued sloths, victims of hunting and deforestation, is constantly increasing.
Many arrive still young. Without their mother’s warmth, they can die, as their health is fragile. What’s more, sloths don’t drink water and get all the liquid they need from the succulent shoots they eat.
Video about collared sloths
5 species of sloth exist in Brazil, belonging to two genera
The two genera show significant differences in morphology, behaviour and feeding.
1. Genus Bradypus (Three-toed sloths)
- Preguiça-comum (Bradypus variegatus)
- Preguiça-de-coleira (Bradypus torquatus)
- Preguiça-de-bentinho (Bradypus tridactylus)
Habitat: Tropical forests, especially in the Amazon and the Atlantic Rainforest.
Characteristics
- They have three toes on each front paw
- They are herbivores, feeding mainly on leaves
- They move very slowly due to their reduced metabolism
2. Genus Choloepus (Two-fingered sloths)
- Royal sloth (Choloepus didactylus)
- Hoffmann’s sloth (Choloepus hoffmanni)
Habitat: Mainly in the Amazon, in rainforest areas
Characteristics
They have two toes on their front legs and three on their feet
- They are more agile than sloths of the Bradypus genus
- They have a more varied diet, including leaves, fruit and small insects
Curiosities about the sloth
- Food: Leaves, shoots and fruit – they extract all the water they need from their food
- Movement: Extremely slow, spending most of its time in the trees
- Predators: Jaguars, hawks and humans (hunting and deforestation are threats)
- Ecological importance: Disperse seeds and help balance the forest
Common sloth injuries
The most common injuries show just how badly sloths are attacked.
‘They arrive injured, usually by dog attacks, badly bruised and sometimes with fractures.
They also arrive very stressed, which makes it difficult for them to eat and adapt to the centre,’ explained the biologist.
It’s important to emphasise that keeping a sloth in captivity is an environmental crime.
If the situation of aggression is not reversed within a few years, the sloth will only be seen in the woods of the Cocoa Research Centre in Ilhéus.
Sloth Recovery Centre at CEPLAC
Created in 1996 by biologist Vera Lúcia de Oliveira, the project is dedicated to the recovery and preservation of the sloth in an area of 43 hectares of Atlantic Forest.
📍 Location: Ilhéus-Itabuna motorway (BR-415), CEPLAC.
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