Hello!
My name is Becky Cliffe and I am a
zoologist from the UK University of Manchester
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 Swansea University
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 Wilson
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.
