Costa Rica

What’s the deal with sloths?

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Sloths are so cute, I just want to hug them… well yes they are seriously cute, huggable cute? I’m not too sure.

There are two families distinguished by the number of digits on their front limbs all sloths have three toes but on their back feet.

Bradypodidae – Three-toed sloths

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Megalonychidae – Two-toed sloths

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Sloths are arboreal they eat, sleep, mate and give birth up in the trees. Only the three-toed sloth is a good swimmer.

Why wouldn’t I hug a sloth? Well firstly, the claws, (which are bone), are big and although sloths are known for being super slow when needed they can swipe those claws pretty fast.

Secondly, the two-toed sloth has two true upper canines and two lower caniniforms plus a snap-like bite – that could really hurt!

Another great thing about sloths is that algae grows on them. It makes them less huggable, but this algae and the sloth have a symbiotic relationship providing camouflage and possibly extra nutrients for their diet.

The sloth sanctuary in Costa Rica is a great place to get up close to the sloths and to see some of the brilliant work the sanctuary does.

About 30 mins from Puerto Viejo they offer tours daily. Book onto the Insiders Tour so you can see the babies and behind the scenes.

Costa Rica; the clash of the morals

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I have just read some great news; Costa Rica are apparently planning on becoming carbon neutral by banning single use plastic and ditching fossil fuels.

https://strawssuck.co.uk/blogs/news/costa-rica-aiming-to-be-number-1

Costa Rica are restoring their forests and protecting the main tourist attraction; their wildlife.
This is such great news but it does make me wonder why their approach to shark finning is still so archaic.

An online campaign has been started by The Costa Rican Endangered Marine Species Rescue Centre, Fins Attached and Wild over Wildlifeto stop the export of 8-tons of hammerhead shark fins which have amassed since March 2015.

Costa Rica should be one of the worldleaders in marine conservation, like it was in 2013 when Laura Chinchilla (president 2010-2014) led the campaign to include hammerheads in Appendix II of the CITES order to limit international trade.

I’m visiting in November and like so many others the main reason is the abundance of wildlife.

It’s not all doom and gloom – there has been some good news with the first criminal charges for shark finning delivered in February this year.
A court in Costa Rica sentenced a Taiwanese business owner to prison.
The woman’s fishing boat was found with 151 sharks aboard, all with their fins chopped off.
Just so everyone knows, the fins don’t grow back.

I really hope the plastic ban goes through and Costa Rica lead the way as this can only help with tightening up their shark finning laws.
Original article by Kristine Lofgren

http://inhabitat.com/costa-rica-aims-to-become-the-first-country-to-ban-all-single-use-plastics/