International Sloth Day (20/10)

October 20, 2010 was declared International Sloth Day. Thus, among the holidays dedicated to the animal world of planet Earth, a new one appeared, designed to draw attention to an unusual animal, the range of which was the forests of Central and South America.

The sloth is indeed an unusual animal. It received its name for its exceptional slowness when moving. However, one should not take the word sloth literally in relation to this representative of the fauna.

The sloth's slowness is explained by energy-saving behavior, which, in turn, is due to diet and metabolic characteristics. It spends most of its time in trees, feeding on leaves. Sleep takes about 15-20 hours a day in their lives, and food is digested in the stomach for about 90 hours. It is very rare for a sloth to descend to earth. This is where it is most vulnerable to predators. One of the reasons that makes it go down is the natural need for bowel movements. The sloth relieves this need once a week. On the ground, due to the structure of the limbs, the sloth cannot rely on them and moves almost crawling. But in the water he feels much freer, swimming beautifully and even diving.

The sloth itself is similar to a medium-sized dog with long limbs, a small head and an almost flat muzzle. Its tail is so small that it is barely noticeable. Sloth's wool is thick. It serves as a habitat for many insects, some species of fungal and even algae. It is symbiotic algae that gives the animal a greenish color.

The sluggish image of the sloth and his unusual appearance were repeatedly used in animation. The image of the sloth Sid from the «Ice Age», as well as the sloths from the cartoon «Zootopia» invariably evoke genuine laughter and smiles not only from children, but also from adults at every viewing.

In 2010, the non-profit foundation AIUNAU, whose goal is to protect and preserve wildlife diversity, declared October 20 as World (or International) Sloth Day. This Colombian organization provides patronage and implements a rehabilitation program for animals of the Xenarthra superorder, which includes, in addition to sloths, anteaters and armadillos.

When establishing the holiday, activists from AIUNAU set the goal of drawing attention to rare species of South American animals in order to preserve them, preserve their habitat, and help those of them that have suffered from negative human impacts.

The holiday is accompanied by photo exhibitions, demonstrations of documentaries, and performances by zoologists dedicated to the unique animal – sloth.



Postcard «International Sloth Day»

1935