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Sloth Bridge
THE SLOTH CONSERVATION FOUNDATION
WILDLIFE CROSSING: Rope bridges can help sloths avoid roads and other hazards.
Slow-moving three-fingered sloths aren’t built to survive in fast-paced urban environments. Cities have expanded into the animals’ natural forest habitat, putting sloths at greater risk of road accidents, electrocution from power lines, and attacks by dogs. That’s why, in 2019, the Sloth Conservation Foundation in Costa Rica began installing rope bridges between trees to help sloths avoid these dangers.
FEDERICO MENEGHETTI/REDA&CO/UNIVERSAL IMAGES GROUP VIA GETTY IMAGES
STAY ALERT: This sign in Costa Rica warns drivers to watch for sloths attempting to cross the road.
So far, the foundation has installed about 150 rope crossings. Along with sloths, more than 15 other species use the bridges too, says Amelia Symeou, an ecology coordinator at the foundation. “The longer the bridge is up, the more animals begin to use it.”