This is a truly special Sloth Sunday, because today, we say goodbye to Oatmeal. As you probably remember, Oatmeal was brought to us in November 2019, after she suffered from a severe electrocution accident with her mom.
Sadly, her mom didn’t make it, and Oatmeal was in critical condition. She couldn’t eat on her own, she couldn’t move properly, and her injuries were bad. Her burns were so critical, we wondered if she was going to survive to the next day. Nonetheless, Oatmeal proved us wrong, time and time again! She is by far one of the most resilient sloths we’ve ever worked with.
Her first 6 months with us were life-changing. We were able to save all of her limbs, and gradually, she started to eat on her own, her hair started to grow, she was able to climb again and socialize with other sloths. Her story inspired us all through the most uncertain times of the pandemic, reaching the furthest corners of the world, from Australia to Europe, to Central America and the United States.
Oatmeal is so loved by all her fans that in 2020 she was crowned as the champion of the Sloth Ironman Games, where she proved she was capable of anything! She showed us she wasn’t just a survivor – she was hungry for a second chance at a life in the wild.
And so, in May 2021, our staff had concluded after years of medical evaluations, that Oatmeal was ready to be rewilded! You can watch her full story here:
None of this would have been possible without our dedicated staff of veterinarians, interns and volunteers. We also want to thank every single one of you who adopted little Oaty, helping her through all the care she so desperately needed. So many of us have been able to join Oatmeal’s journey. It wasn’t easy, it wasn’t simple, but nature never is. And through it all, we can’t lose hope.
Oatmeal is our little constant reminder to never, ever, lose hope.
We didn’t give up on Oatmeal, none of us did. Thank you, Oatmeal, for not giving up on us. Good luck back in the trees, Oatmeal you will always be our story of hope.
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!
This article was produced by the Toucan Rescue Ranch, which specializes in helping wild animals recover so that they can be reintroduced into the wild.
