The primary animal we rescue at the JRC is the sloth. Sloths arrive at our center for various reasons, such as falling from trees, sustaining injuries, or being electrocuted. We aim to educate you about the rehabilitation process that baby sloths undergo to be rewilded. For the past 15 years, the JRC's Rehabilitation Program has been successfully reintroducing sloths back into the wild.

How Does the Process Work?
When a baby sloth first arrives at our center, our veterinary team conducts a thorough check-up. If we know the exact location where the baby was found and it is healthy, we use "The Speaker Method." This method involves playing the cry of the baby through a speaker to attract the mother's attention. If this method does not succeed, the baby remains under our care and begins its rehabilitation process. Here are the steps a sloth goes through before being rewilded:

Step 1: Nursery
Babies start their journey in our nursery, where they stay from birth until they are around six months old. Our nursery team provides feeding, care, and any necessary medication.

Step 2: High School
From six months to one and a half years old, sloths are raised together and fed a diet primarily consisting of various leaves, along with vegetables such as carrots and chayote.

Step 3: Pre-release Enclosure
Once the sloth reaches a certain weight and size, they are moved to the pre-release enclosure located in the forest. This enclosure helps them adapt to their natural habitat with minimal human contact. They are fed mainly leaves found in their future home.

Step 4: Preparing for Rewilding
Before release, each sloth is fitted with a microchip and marked with a colored thread braid on their back to help identify them in the trees for a few weeks post-release. They are transported in carrier boxes to the release site, where we simply open the door near a tree and let them climb to what will hopefully become their forever home.

Release Considerations
The decision to release a sloth is based on several factors: weight gained in recent months, behavior in the enclosure, and the presence of algae and moths on their fur—indicative of their adaptation to the habitat. We primarily release sloths in National Parks and Conservation Forests.