The sloth backpack project - the story so far!

I want to say a huge THANK YOU to everyone who has donated to the project so far! We have managed to raise a whopping $1450 (£915) which has all been put to good use. 

This money, with help from Discovery Channel, has allowed us to finally buy some of the essential receiving equipment that we need in order to get started. This includes 2 VHF transmitters, a VHF receiver, antenna and all the necessary cabling!
You can read more about the sloth backpack project here.

This week I will also be battling the heavy snow and heading down to Swansea University to buy our first two Daily Diaries. Whilst there, I will also be trying to figure out a way to package these, along with the VHF transmitters and batteries, in a waterproof casing that will attach nicely onto our sloth harnesses! This might be easier said than done... our original plan to do this using a 3D printer is looking like it could be difficult... we need an emergency back up plan just in case! 

So far this includes me running around collecting all the appropriate sized plastic containers that I can find - we will try and modify them suitably in the lab this week. Who knew an ice lolly mould could potentially become a sloth tracking device!! 

I am flying back out to the Sloth Sanctuary next weekend to begin some preliminary work with this new equipment! 

Unfortunately, the project is going to need more than two tracking devices and so still needs your help! We are also hopeful to purchase automatic drop-off mechanisms in April so we can retrieve our data much more quickly -  recapturing the sloths once they are hiding at the top of a 90 foot tree wearing their expensive backpacks is going to be a whole new challenge! 

If you would like to help us buy the equipment in order to complete this project, you can do so using the PayPal donate button on this blog. Every dollar goes directly towards funding our research and it really is appreciated! 

Alternatively, if you would like to ‘Sponsor a sloth backpack’ for $800 this would purchase an entire reusable unit that we will use for the duration of this project. If you chose to do this, you will get the chance to:

• ·         Name the backpack (this will appear on the backpack itself as well as in all publications resulting from this research)
• ·         Receive acknowledgement in all scientific papers that we publish during the project.
• ·         Receive frequent updates, videos and photos from the sloth wearing your backpack throughout the 3 year study.

If you are interested in sponsoring a sloth backpack, or if you have any questions about the project, please don’t hesitate to contact me at rebeccacliffe06@gmail.com for more information. 

An interesting thought...

If everyone who visited this blog over the last 2 years donated just 1 dollar each, we would have raised enough money to fund our whole sloth research program for the next 3 years!!!

Now here is a sloth in a hammock that will brighten anyone's Monday morning

SLOTH RESEARCH FUNDING

Hello!

My name is Becky Cliffe and I am a zoologist from the UK and the sloth sanctuaries on-site researcher. I first came to the sanctuary in 2010 on a 12 month research placement through the University of Manchester, and have never looked back.

During those first 12 months here at the sanctuary, I completed the first in-depth research project into captive sloth biology, investigating factors such as food intake, activity budgets, thermoregulation and oestrus cycles in Bradypus variegatus sloths. This project has given us valuable baseline data which we are now using in order to develop and improve the sanctuaries current rehabilitation and release program. The scientific paper we produced from this project is in the process of publication so keep checking back here for updates!

Having now graduated from Manchester with a first class honours, I’m looking to the future and beginning a long-term research project on wild sloths for my PhD. This project will be completed in conjunction with Dr. Rory Wilson of Swansea University and The Sloth Sanctuary. As many of you might already know, we actually know very little about sloths and their ecology. Even the most basic knowledge such as their natural diet still remains largely a mystery - so the biggest problem for the sloth sanctuary has always been trying to conserve an animal without really knowing anything about it. As a result, we struggle to release many of the hand-raised orphans who are brought into us for help.

This project will involve tagging and monitoring the daily activity of wild sloths (Bradypus variegatus and Choloepus hoffmanni) within the extensive protected grounds of the sanctuary. To do this, we will be using a small device designed by Wilson called 'The Daily Diary'. The exciting potential that this technology holds for research has been recognized though Wilson receiving the prestigious Rolex Award for enterprise. Furthermore, these gadgets have now been recognized globally and were even used in the making of National Geographic's largest ever series 'Great Migrations'

The Daily Diaries will constantly collect information; recording for us exactly what our sloths are doing and how much energy they are expending doing it. These devices will even produce a detailed record of the environmental conditions that the sloths are experiencing throughout the course of the day!

We will be combining these little devices with VHF radio transmitters in a specially designed sloth backpack. Thankfully, the harnesses we will be using have automatic drop-off mechanisms built in so we can easily remove the backpack without having to recapture the animal – very handy since sloths don’t like to come down to the ground very much!

Through the use of these devices, we are aiming to gain a better understanding of the sloths daily behavior patterns including their diet, habitat preference and reproductive habits. Furthermore, we hope to formulate estimates for factors such as population densities and ranging patterns.

We hope that by gaining an understanding of how sloths survive in the wild, this will help us to improve our current rehabilitation program and will allow us to develop conservation strategies in order to better protect existing wild populations.

However, in order to do all of this and before we can begin, we need to raise enough funds to cover the costs of our field work and research equipment. Each ‘sloth backpack’ including a Daily Diary, VHF transmitter and harness with drop-off mechanism costs USD $800 (£500)

If you would like to donate and help us achieve this, we have set up a specific research account here. No donation is too small; every dollar is a step closer to reaching our dream!

Alternatively, if you would like to ‘Sponsor a sloth backpack’ for $800 this would purchase an entire reusable unit that we will use for the duration of this project. If you chose to do this, you will get the chance to:

• ·         Name the backpack (this will appear on the backpack itself as well as in all publications resulting from this research)
• ·         Receive acknowledgement in all scientific papers that we publish during the project.
• ·         Receive frequent updates, videos and photos from the sloth wearing your backpack throughout the 3 year study.

If you are interested in sponsoring a sloth backpack, or if you have any questions about the project, please don’t hesitate to contact me at rebeccacliffe06@gmail.com for more information. 

Everyone needs a little bit of sloth

For any keen sloth fans out there who would like to help, this website is selling some great sloth-related bits and bobs and all proceeds go directly to the sanctuary!!

Take a peek: http://www.etsy.com/shop/ForTheSloths

xxx

Sloths are hot right NOW

With the upcoming release of the UK sloth documentary (4th March remember...) 2012 looks set to be the year of the sloth!

And we're not the only ones to notice, check this out http://www.buzzfeed.com/animals/sloths-are-so-hot-right-now-5685

xxx

Something a little different...

This is less sloth related, but just as interesting! An eye opening new blog from my good friend Nichola Shaw on the disturbing effects of keeping intelligent and highly social marine mammals such as dolphins and Orcas in captivity. It might make you think twice before booking that trip to SeaWorld. Check it out - http://nicholashaw.blogspot.com/

xxx

A flying visit

Suffering massively from sloth withdrawals since being back in Manchester, I decided to make a flying visit back to the sanctuary! I could only squeeze in a quick 5 day visit but it was worth every second, and now I am back with a whole bunch of sloth sanctuary updates for you all!

First up, this little guy:

It's Luigi !! He first arrived last summer and has grown so much now, although he is still a bombshell and can't be separated from his favorite stuffed dog! He now also has a new friendship blossoming with one of the new babies who arrived just after Christmas - baby Becca (obviously the best named sloth in the world...) Here she is in all her glory:

Separated at birth, clearly...

And to top off all the great things that have been happening - The ball has started rolling with the plans for my PhD !!! This will be back out at the sanctuary and will involve 3 years chasing wild sloths around the jungle, trying to figure out all the secrets behind their mysterious lives up there in the rainforest canopy! For now we are drafting out the plans and searching out the all important funding !!!!