A month ago, Toucan Rescue Ranch received a call that would entail one of our most logistically ambitious rescues.
Meet Shell, a baby two-fingered sloth. If there is something that Shell’s story can teach us, is about teamwork. You know what they say: Teamwork makes the dream work – and together we can achieve anything!
Watch Shell’s full journey here:
Shell was found alone on the ground by a couple of neighbors of the area, during a hike in Pavones beach – in the south Pacific of Costa Rica. They waited for her mom to come back, but there was no sign of her anywhere. They realized Shell was a newborn, so they needed to act fast.
Due to MINAE offices being closed for Easter, the rescuers decided to call us for help. The only problem? TRR’s facilities are 7 hours away by car from Pavones! Still, we didn’t want to abandon Shell, and became a matter of finding the right team to help us out.
Toucan Rescue Ranch’s founder, Leslie Howle, contacted Carol Patrick of Osa Wildlife Sanctuary to see if they could help us find a way to get Shell here. Carol managed to find a boat that could transport her across the golf to Puerto Jimenez, which has an airport.
The Toucan Rescue Ranch also contacted Sansa Airlines, which flies domestically from the south Pacific to the capital of Costa Rica. Thankfully, they also wanted to help Shell!
They flew her to the Central Valley on the next available flight – now that’s a first-class rescue! Shell was picked up at Juan Santamaria International Airport by TRR’s very own Leslie, who has raised Shell for the past month.
Shell’s prognosis is a positive one, but she has a long way to go before leaving nursery and moving forward in the Saving Sloths Together Program.
You can help rescues like this one by donating to Toucan Rescue Ranch!
Special thanks to:
- Tasia and Roma – Rescuers
- Carol Patrick – Osa Wildlife Sanctuary
- Christy and Gordon Richards – Land transportation
- Luis – Boat transportation
- Diego Espinoza – Pilot at Sansa Airlines
Thanks to all of you for making this mission a successful one and teaching us all about teamwork!
Mariana Diaz, born and raised in Costa Rica, has been part of the Marketing Team at Toucan Rescue Ranch since late 2020. With a background in Media for Development and Social Change, Social Work, and Graphic Design, she supports communications and all things media!
The Toucan Rescue Ranch specializes in helping wild animals recover so that they can be reintroduced into the wild. For more information or to donate, visit the Toucan Rescue Ranch website.
