At The Sloth Institute in Manuel Antonio, life moves at a patient, purposeful pace. Thanks to Tulemar’s Community Collaboration Initiative — and the guests who help make it possible — every month brings meaningful progress for some of Costa Rica’s most beloved creatures.
That impact is made possible through the Community Collaboration Initiative. A portion of every Tulemar reservation is donated to The Sloth Institute, and every guest who joins a Sloth Walk contributes directly to its mission. Together, these ongoing contributions provide steady support for sloth rescue, rehabilitation, research, and conservation throughout the year.
Caring for Every Rescue
This year’s Community Collaboration Initiative funding helped provide the essential clinic supplies The Sloth Institute relies on every day. Pedialyte, gauze, syringes, medications, and other medical necessities allow the veterinary team to care for injured and orphaned sloths, supporting everything from hydration and wound care to the specialized treatment each rescue needs throughout its recovery.
Fueling Conservation and Expanding Impact
As The Sloth Institute grows, so does the scope of its work: new tracking collars allow researchers to follow more sloths thriving in the wild, while a dedicated vehicle now travels dozens of kilometers each day to gather fresh leaves, deliver rescue supplies, collect research data, and plant trees that help reconnect the forest. This same daily route fuels the Institute’s broader mission — restoring habitats, supporting rescues, and keeping wildlife safe —with each kilometer strengthened by the Community Collaboration Initiative.
Beyond the work happening in the field, the Community Collaboration Initiative also helps provide the specialized equipment that makes conservation possible. This year’s funding supplied professional climbing gear, allowing The Sloth Institute team to safely install rope bridges in larger trees and expand the reach of the Sloth Speedways program. Contributions also helped equip the wildlife clinic with essential laboratory upgrades, backup power, improved medical storage, and other critical improvements that keep rescue and rehabilitation efforts running smoothly every day.
Sloth Speedways: Reconnecting the Forest
High above the jungle floor, donations continue to help build the Sloth Speedways — the rope bridges that reconnect fragmented forests and give sloths (and their neighbors) safe passage home.
“Every rope bridge we build not only prevents electrocutions, but also reconnects fragmented forests. It allows wildlife to reach food sources safely. It enables genetic diversity by connecting isolated populations. It reduces human-wildlife conflict. It proves to communities that coexistence is possible.”
— The Sloth Institute
Preparing for Life Back in the Wild
The Community Collaboration Initiative also helped fund new rehabilitation enclosures where recovering sloths can climb, forage, and feel the sun and rain on their fur — a small but essential step toward rejoining the rainforest. When one sloth named Benedict arrived with a broken arm, community support made it possible to give him months of care until he was strong enough to be released back home.
Every branch, bridge, and heartbeat tells the same story: that when travelers choose Tulemar, they’re not just visiting paradise — they’re helping preserve it.
See you in paradise — and in the community.
— Jules, Glen, and the rest of your Tulemar Team
