ANIMAL LOVERS: video of a sloth i saw this morning in the mountain near my house!

[Gato Moteado]

early this morning i was up in la carpintera, the rainforest mountain near my house, and on my way back down i saw a large branch of a tree shake and then sag into the brush near the ground. i ran over to it and saw a two-toed sloth clinging to the branch which was too thin to hold his weight. i watched him for a while and then ran home and got my digital camera. i ran back up the mountain and found the sloth in a nearby tree but still very close to the ground. i was within two feet of him, snapping pictures and shooting video as he munched away on leaves. i even petted him. what a trip!

ok...i hope you enjoy these videos as much as i enjoyed taking them:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pg_opDeRJM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSX8HmIJ11o
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XE4FTsdaMdo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6sPDeWziYQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWK6P2Ja39U

pura vida,
gato

[Kali]

1. way cool!

can you post some stills? I don't get youtube very well (see my sig line)

[Gato Moteado]

3. sure...i'll work on getting the photos ready and uploaded.....

...then i'll post them and send you a message.

[BarenakedLady]

2. Neato

They are the most bizarre creatures, but I love them. Thanks for sharing. :thumbsup:

[Gato Moteado]

4. i've seen them numerous times in the wild here.....

....but this is the closest i have ever come. i even touched his fur. how cool is that!

[CottonBear]

10. What does the fur feel like? Is the coat waterproof?

Are they likely to bite or scratch you if you pet them or are they as passive as they seem to be in the videos? They are so sloooooow! Have you ever seen a baby sloth?

Thanks for posting the videos!

[Gato Moteado]

12. the fur felt like the fur of a slightly damp, shaggy dog

they're passive but when threatened they will assume a defensive posture. when i first encountered this guy, as i moved in very close to him he started hissing and then hung upside down with his arms held out so i could see his claws. then he started smacking his lips and tongue. after a couple minutes he saw i wasn't going to harm him and he didn't feel so threatened.

never saw a baby sloth in the wild.

[Maraya1969]

23. Where do you live?

[Gato Moteado]

25. currently about half way between san jose and cartago....

....in costa rica.

but i have a property near the pacific coast that i want to build a small house on to live in. it's about 50 acres of primary and secondary rainforest.

[leftyladyfrommo]

5. Amazing. But how do they ever get anywhere?

He seems to be doing the same things over and over again.

[Gato Moteado]

7. yeah, they're slow....

...he was a bit confused also because he was on a small tree without much room to go anywhere. after i was done shooting the video he switch over to a big tree and climbed up into the canopy.

[lukasahero]

6. Awesome

Boy, he seems as interested in you as you were in him. Great vids - thanks for sharing!

[Gato Moteado]

8. it's always a trip for me and the wildlife when i get that close....

....i'm glad you enjoyed the video.

[seemunkee]

9. Those are great

I love that face.

[Gato Moteado]

13. he had a wet little pig nose

nt

[myrna minx]

11. I always enjoy your posts.

Those videos were such a relaxing treat. That little sloth is so adorable. :hi:

[Gato Moteado]

15. thanks!

glad you enjoyed them. did you see him really chomping away on leaves in the 5th video?

[myrna minx]

18. He was really enjoying his lazy afternoon lunch.

I can't believe how close you were to him! He seemed rather curious about you too.

[Gato Moteado]

20. yeah he was interested in me but....

...he also took his eyes off of me quite a bit even when i was very close.

[YankeyMCC]

14. Excellent thx for sharing nt

[Gato Moteado]

16. my pleasure!

hopefully someday i'll get to video a jaguar in the wild and post it here. until then, i'll post whatever i can find to photograph.

[greatauntoftriplets]

17. VERY cool!

:hi:

[Gato Moteado]

21. hey how the heck are ya?

we sure never got to see any wild sloths in chicago.

[greatauntoftriplets]

31. Stressed at work....

Isn't this supposed to be the slow season?

[Gato Moteado]

32. well that all depends what biz you're in!

but, yeah, i figure it should be winding down for you for the holidays.

[greatauntoftriplets]

35. Corporate real estate development....

and I have just had three enormous projects dumped on me.

:banghead:

[MadAsHellNewYorker]

19. wow. thanks so much for sharing. that guy is so frickn cute

:D

[Gato Moteado]

22. glad you liked it!

yeah, sometimes their faces almost look human.

[Patiod]

24. cool!

He seemed to take you in stride. Or rather, he got the hang of you. Or something.

Very mellow little guy, huh?

[Gato Moteado]

26. yeah, he was mellow

and hungry.

[Patiod]

27. are you sure there's no cannibis plants in your backyard

sounds like some stoners I know!

[Dastard Stepchild]

28. Wonderful!

What I wouldn't give to be able to see this in person! I just adore animals.

I've always wanted to visit Costa Rica. My university just sent me this email about a 2-week summer Spanish language intensive training in Costa Rica, and if I can pull together the funds, I would LOVE to go. :)

Thanks for the movies...they made my desire to save up money for that trip all the more intense.

[Gato Moteado]

29. yes, definitely do the spanish class!

but try to enroll for at least a month so you have several weekends where you can get out to the rainforest.

what part of illinois you from? is it cold up there yet?

[cwydro]

30. oh, that is so cool.

Thanks for posting that!

[Gato Moteado]

33. thank you!

nt

[GoddessOfGuinness]

34. These are wonderful!

Thank you so much for sharing them! :hug:

[Gato Moteado]

39. thanks....now i need to find a giant anteater to photograph...

....supposedly they are extinct in costa rica but i swear i saw a roadkilled one about 7 years ago here near the pacific coast.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

42. I'd love to see that!

The National Zoo just acquired a pair a few months ago. I haven't been over to see them yet, though. :hi:

[Gato Moteado]

46. on my last drive along the pacific coast a couple weeks ago....

...i saw a road killed tamandua, which is a medium sized anteater here. we also have a really small one here called a silky anteater.

they're such cool creatures.

[GOPisEvil]

36. Between Madrone's sugar gliders and your sloth, I am cuted out!

Great videos, man! :thumbsup:

[Gato Moteado]

40. thanks man.....

....want one for your garden?

[Madrone]

37. Awww!

How cool is that?!

[Gato Moteado]

44. it's always great to get up close to animals in the wild!

it's why i came down here and why i don't want to leave.

[djeseru]

38. Wow, what a neat experience...

...thank you for sharing those!

[Gato Moteado]

43. my pleasure!

nt

[u4ic]

41. Thank you for sharing!

Those are great videos...and what a marvellous creature.


Moves about as fast as my ex did, though...:rofl:

[Gato Moteado]

45. any time

i'm glad you liked them.