SIU grad student in Panama, getting valuable insight into sloths
Many animals rely on quickness or flashy, top-end speed to stay out of harm's way or to avoid encountering humans encroaching on their territory. But for the aptly named sloth, a hasty retreat is not an option.
As one of the slowest mammals on Earth, sloths are one of the most commonly rescued species throughout Latin America. But what happens to sloths after they are relocated? Does simply moving them out of the path of development save them or simply delay their demise?
A graduate student from Southern Illinois University Carbondale is spending a year in Panama studying how well the species adapts and survives once they are moved to new locales where ideally they can live out their "lazy" days in peace.
Chelsea Morton, a graduate research assistant with SIU's forestry program and Cooperative Wildlife Research Laboratory, is based in the small town of Gamboa, in the province of Colon. Located in the buffer zone near the Panama Canal, the forests form part of the Soberania National Park, renowned for its diverse wildlife in one of the world's most zoologically fascinating areas.
"Sloths are extremely fascinating animals," Morton said. "Their evolutionary biology is so unique, allowing them to sleep, eat, and even give birth upside down, at unimaginable heights in the forest canopy. But they are also so fragile, both in captivity and when it comes to habitat loss."
Morton's adviser is Clay Nielsen, professor of wildlife management and conservation with the forestry program and SIU's Cooperative Wildlife Research Laboratory.
Nielsen said Morton's research is important to sloth conservation.
"It provides insight into the efficacy of sloth relocation programs," Nielsen said. "Such programs are popular in Central America, but have received little research attention."
Before their release into the wild, the captured or rescued sloths are placed into an enclosure within a wild environment. This "soft release" technique allows the animal to acclimate to a wild area while minimizing risks. While in that environment each animal is fitted with a VHF tracking device, allowing Morton to track them once they are fully released.
Five or six days a week, Morton finds each sloth using radio telemetry equipment. Once she finds them, she takes down information on the characteristics of the tree that the sloth is using, its behavior and how far it's traveled from the previous location.
"Researching them in the wild has allowed me to see the same species I cared for in captivity, in an entirely different construct," she said. "They are very intelligent and unpredictable, which makes the field work all the better."
Morton said she takes pleasure in finding was to protect wildlife, which she considers innocent and vulnerable in a world where humans can make it difficult for animals to live.
"I grew up developing a passion for endangered species or animals that were heavily affected by deforestation, poaching and other anthropogenic disturbances," Morton said.
"So I guess realizing how susceptible wildlife are to things they can't control has made me love and appreciate wildlife even the more. I love my project because it involves sloths, a species that is very sensitive to human activity, and finding ways to rescue and give them a second chance at survival."