Los Osos Perezosos
Trip Start
Aug 08, 2008
1
23
42
Trip End
Oct 12, 2008
Cahuita,
Province of Limon,
Costa Rica
Sunday, September 21, 2008
There was no cab stand at the bus station in Cahuita, so I popped into a liquor store to inquire where we might find one. I wasn't expecting him to call one for us, but that sure made things easier. Caitlyn is leaving straight from San Jose after this, so she's carrying an enormous duffel bag in addition to her purse and backpack--we call it her body bag, because you could literally fit a dead body or two in there.
I had a delightful hot shower when we arrived at Cabinas Atlantic Surf
The would-be pickpocket
. We have a private triple on the second floor and a semiprivate deck with a hammock and chair. There's not much in the way of a common area, but I was content to just lie in the hammock outside and read, and except for the godawful Reggaeton blaring next door, it was quite peaceful.By chance, we caught the same cab driver going to the Sloth Sanctuary--I guess there aren't too many in this town. (He also gave us his number to call for the return trek.)
We were greeted by a lovely older American woman, who had taken an early retirement to volunteer with the sloths in Costa Rica after seeing the center on a cruise. Her enthusiasm was contagious, and she really knew her sloths. We met Taz, the favorite of YouTube fame; Buttercup, the original rescue and most photographed sloth in the world; and many others--and, of course, the babies.
Some fun facts about sloths: there are two distinct species, Three-fingered (Bradypus variegatus) and Two-Fingered (Choloepus hoffmanni.) They are also referred to as two- and three-toed sloths, but as all sloths have three phalanges on their hind limbs, it's more accurate to say "fingers."
Both species sleep for 16-18 hours a day, take a month to process food, and climb down from the trees only once a week to defecate
Buttercup just wants to be loved
. Bradypus is a strict herbivore, eating only the select variety of 6-10 leaves its mother ate. (This is believed to help individuals avoid competition for resources.) But Choloepus, the more common and hardier variety, is thought by some to be an opportunistic omnivore, feeding on leaves, flowers, fruit, and occasionally on bird's eggs. The nocturnal Choloepus is therefore distinguished by canine teeth and thick pads on its feet, as well as its tendency to curl into a ball when it sleeps. The diurnal Bradypus is flexible in a different way; it can turn its head 270 degrees, and has a tail. Male Bradypus also have a distinctive patch of orange fur with black stripes on their backs, which presumably helps them tell each other apart, as both sexes of this species have internal genitalia.
Females of both species give birth to only one offspring at a time; gestation for Bradypus is about six months, while for Choloepus it's eleven months and one week. Of all adult sloths, only the female Bradypus (such as Buttercup) has a mating call-a human-like scream. The male Bradypus makes a crying sound when attacked by another male competing for a female in heat.
In the wild, both species are host to a rich plumage of algae, which helps hide them from predators, and supports a population of moths
Baby sloths
. Sloths are prey for eagles, snakes, and large cats, but most of the sloths at the sanctuary are victims of human activity.The Sloth Sanctuary was founded by Judy and Luis Arroyo, two animal lovers who took in an orphaned baby sloth in 1992. They searched for information on sloths to find out how to better care for the newly christened Buttercup, but found little. Still, Buttercup survived, and as word spread, more injured and orphaned sloths were brought by neighbors to their home. The center was officially established in 1997, and is recognized by the government of Costa Rica and the Ministry of Environment and Mines (MINAE.)
The tour included a guided canoe tour, an informational film, some hands-on interaction with Millie, Spiderman, Nala, and Toyota, and a chance to see the baby sloths up close and in action during their feeding time. It doesn't get any cuter than that.
On our tour guide's recommendation, we had a late lunch at Sobre las Olas, an oceanfront seafood restaurant. I tried octopus for the first time, and found it surprisingly palatable, especially in the savory tomato sauce the waitress recommended. Then we relaxed at the hostel (I took a nap) before going out for the night
Baby sloth attempts to climb a tree
.According to our cab driver, Cahuita has the nightlife on Fridays, while all the action is in Puerto Viejo on Saturdays. That was fine with me; I was up for a mellow evening. The hostel owner invited us to a bar her friend had just opened (Hotel Jaguar, I think), and she made us her specialty cocktails. She used to be a bartender in D.C., so we chatted about the business, cultural differences between Costa Rica and the States, and the curious lack of tampons in this country. ("Women's rights," she chalked it up to, with a dismissive wave of her hand.)
Then we went over to Coco's Bar, which she says is sometimes packed with just tourists and other nights is full of locals. Tonight it was mostly the latter, except for us of course. I got a rum and coke and sandwiched myself between Caitlyn and Anna, hoping they would absorb the come-ons from the local boys. I also called it a night early, and Caitlyn played wingman so Anna could break another Costa Rican boy's heart.
Comments
Who is that Sloth hitting on my girl
Watching a bushel of babies slothing around on their bellies is one of the most bazaar things I have ever seen.