Costa Rica’s Aviarios del Caribe Sloth Sanctuary

This morning, we visited the Aviarios del Caribe Sloth Sanctuary, where sloths are rescued and rehabilitated. The aim is to release them back into the wild, though this isn’t always possible. We took the Buttercup Tour, which included a canoe trip on the river to spot wildlife.

Inside the sloth sanctuary

At the entrance, we were greeted by a model of a giant ground sloth that once roamed South America. Inside, we first saw adult two- and three-toed sloths, some with injuries that mean they’ll live their lives at the sanctuary. Next, we visited the younger sloths in another room, where our guide gave us an excellent talk about their lives. For more details on sloths, check out our blog post Interesting Facts About The Lives Of Sloths.

Canoe Trip on the River

After seeing the sloths, we set off on a canoe trip along the river that runs through the sloth sanctuary. We spotted two two-toed sloths that had been released over the past few years. Further along, we had great views of fiddler crabs and male and female basilisk lizards on the muddy banks. A brown iguana lounged on a branch—apparently, pregnant iguanas were once hunted for their eggs. A troop of howler monkeys watched us from high up in the trees.

After the canoe trip, we returned to the centre. Johnny pointed out some long-nosed bats roosting on the wall, and nearby, a yellow-breasted flycatcher perched on a wire.

Back at the Lodge

Back at the lodge, we saw three agoutis near our room. Some movement in the leaf litter around the pond revealed Green Poison Arrow Frogs—a species we’d been hoping to find in the lodge grounds. In the afternoon, we returned to Cahuita National Park for another walk.

Back to Cahuita National Park.

We entered the park through the village and followed the track. Above us, howler monkeys moved through the branches, and on the opposite side, a two-toed sloth moved slowly through the trees. A family of Capuchin monkeys watched us as a toucan flew overhead.

Further along, a raccoon had caught a large insect, rolling it in the sand, possibly to remove the wings before eating it. Hidden in the undergrowth, we spotted a bay wren. Butterflies fluttered along the track, stopping to feed on flowers. As we neared the river, which cut across the beach, an Amazon Kingfisher flew along the bank. Sadly, it was time to return to the lodge for a group meal at a local restaurant.

Back at the Lodge

As we were leaving for the restaurant, a thunderstorm hit with heavy rain. Despite the downpour, the meal was delicious and reasonably priced. The rain stopped during the meal, and when we returned to the lodge, we set out to look for frogs.

We found red-eyed tree frogs hiding among the large-leaved plants near the restaurant area. Tonight is our last night at Atlantida Lodge, as tomorrow we’re moving to the Turrialba Valley in the Central Highlands