When Hannah arrived at The Sloth Institute in Costa Rica, she was facing far more than the ordinary challenges of being an orphaned baby sloth. She had pneumonia, a bladder infection, diarrhoea and damaged skin. She had also been fed cow's milk by people who were trying to help.
Hannah's story is not about blaming a well-meaning rescuer. It is about how specialised a wild animal can be, and why the kindest first response is often to call trained wildlife professionals. With species-appropriate food, veterinary treatment and a quiet place to recover, Hannah is now doing better. Her long-term goal is not life as a cuddly attraction. It is a return to the forest.
How did Hannah come into care?
Hannah was found orphaned near Parrita and reached The Sloth Institute on 13 April 2026. The organisation's official update about Hannah describes a very sick youngster carrying several problems at once: pneumonia, a bladder infection, diarrhoea and troubled skin.
Before she entered specialist care, well-meaning people had given her cow's milk. That choice sounds harmless because milk is associated with feeding baby mammals. Yet milk is not interchangeable between species. The rescue team says a sloth's digestive system is slow, sensitive and unsuited to dairy, and that inappropriate feeding can trigger serious digestive trouble.
The safest lesson is simple. An injured or orphaned wild animal does not need an improvised menu. It needs a wildlife authority, rescue centre or veterinarian with experience of that species. Even familiar human foods can create a second problem on top of the original emergency.
Why is feeding a baby sloth so complicated?
A wild baby sloth normally drinks its mother's milk before gradually learning to eat the leaves available in its home range. That transition happens over months rather than in a single sudden change. During that time, the young sloth's digestive community develops alongside its diet.
Sloths are famous for slow digestion, but “slow” does not mean simple. Their bodies are adapted to extracting energy from tough plant material while using very little energy themselves. A food that another rescued mammal could tolerate may be unsuitable for a sloth. Large amounts of sugary fruit, ordinary vegetables and dairy are not safe substitutes for an expert feeding plan.
For Hannah, rehabilitation included resetting her diet with species-appropriate nutrition while treating the illnesses affecting the rest of her body. Pneumonia requires careful management because sloths can be sensitive to stress and temperature. Damaged skin and fur also need time. Her progress is therefore measured in weeks and months, not in one dramatic rescue-day transformation.
What does proper sloth rehabilitation look like?
Medical stability is only the beginning. A young sloth that may return to the forest must also develop the strength, movement and independence needed for canopy life. The Sloth Institute describes this staged journey in its Rescue, Rehab and Release programme. Some adults can be released quickly after treatment, while orphaned youngsters may need care for as long as two years.
The organisation calls its progression for orphans “Sloth School”. The name is playful, but the principle is serious. Enclosures and routines change as an animal grows, giving it opportunities to climb, choose food and practise the behaviours it will need outside human care. When a suitable sloth is released, tracking can help researchers see how it settles into the forest.
Rehabilitation is not the same as taming. Too much human contact can make release harder and expose a recovering animal to stress. The centre's public rescue guidance explains why its rehabilitation areas are closed to visitors: unfamiliar sounds, smells and schedules are not in the animals' best interests. There are no holding sessions or sanctuary selfies. Staying wild is part of the treatment.
Is Hannah ready to return to the forest?
Not yet. In its June update, The Sloth Institute said Hannah was improving but remained in active rehabilitation and was not fully out of danger. That careful wording matters. Recovery is rarely a straight line, and a hopeful story should not be turned into a promised ending before the animal is ready.
A future release depends on more than gaining weight or looking brighter in a photograph. Hannah must be healthy enough to regulate her body, eat the right foods, climb confidently and cope without daily human support. Specialists will make that decision from her behaviour and medical progress, not from a calendar.
If she reaches that point, the best ending may be one most people never get to watch closely: Hannah moving into protected forest, choosing her own branches and becoming difficult to find.
What should you do if you find an orphaned sloth?
Contact the local wildlife authority or a recognised rescue organisation immediately. Do not offer milk, fruit or medicine unless a qualified professional specifically tells you to do so. Keep the animal away from crowds, pets, handling and photographs while you wait for instructions.
Hannah survived the first emergency, then needed experts to untangle the problems that followed. Her second chance is being built through quiet, patient work: the right nutrition, careful treatment and enough distance from people to remain a wild sloth. That is less flashy than a rescue selfie, and far more valuable.
Sources and image credit
- The Sloth Institute: Hannah's rescue and recovery story
- The Sloth Institute: Rescue, Rehab and Release programme
- The Sloth Institute: rescue and rehabilitation FAQ
- Featured image: The Sloth Institute, from its official story about Hannah.