Meet Luke: Our handsome new arrival at The Sloth Institute!

Elly King, Volunteer Coordinator at The Sloth Institute

Let us introduce you to Luke, a three-fingered male sloth, was found severely injured in Playa Matapalo. Thanks to the rapid action of the local community, he was quickly taken to Alturas Wildlife Rescue. In partnership with the centre, The Sloth Institute is providing specialised care and rehabilitation to support his recovery.

Upon examination, it became clear that Luke had been severely electrocuted after being forced to cross a power line. As habitat loss and tree canopy fragmentation make it increasingly difficult for sloths to move between trees, power lines often become an unintended and dangerous route for them. Electrocution typically causes both an entrance and an exit wound, with the exit wound being more damaging. In Luke’s case, the burn on his left arm was so severe that his hand lost all functional tissue, and his tendons and nerves were completely immobilised. Additionally, Luke developed compartment syndrome, a condition where increased pressure within the limb restricts blood flow, leading to tissue death. Despite the swift response from the community and our team, the arm had already begun necrotising. To prevent septicaemia and save his life, amputation was the only option.

Thanks to the skill and dedication of our veterinary team, Luke underwent a successful surgery and is making great progress toward recovery. Once he’s fully healed, we look forward to releasing him back into the wild where he truly belongs!

Fortunately, The Sloth Institute has experience rehabilitating and releasing amputee sloths. We’ve learned that these animals can adapt remarkably well to life back in the wild, even with serious disabilities. One of our most inspiring success stories is Eric, another three-fingered male sloth who also had to undergo an arm amputation. After months of rehabilitation, Eric was successfully released five years ago and is thriving in the wild. While Luke is still in the process of healing, with physiotherapy and time, we are confident that he will follow a similar path as Eric and soon be ready to return to his natural habitat.

While we are optimistic about Luke’s recovery, we are also focused on preventing similar injuries from happening in the future. Habitat loss, not just in Playa Matapalo but throughout Costa Rica, continues to increase. As tree canopies become fragmented, sloths are progressively forced to navigate dangerous power lines. With deforestation accelerating, the risks to sloths and other wildlife grow.

To help combat these issues, we are expanding our tree nursery and are ready to plant new trees and install more Sloth Speedways – our specially placed ropes that help wildlife safely navigate their environment. If you know of areas that could benefit from reforestation or the installation of Sloth Speedways, please contact [email protected]. Together, we can help prevent future tragedies like Luke’s and protect these wonderful animals from harm.