Sloth Speedways & Tree Nursery

Connecting Costa Rica’s rainforest canopy to keep sloths safe, one rope bridge at a time

🪢What Is a Sloth Speedway?

Deforestation in the rainforest is the leading threat to sloth survival. As trees are cleared, sloths lose critical connections to their natural habitat, including access to food, shelter, and safe resting areas. This habitat fragmentation forces sloths to travel in dangerous ways—climbing across electric power lines or attempting to cross busy roads—often resulting in serious injury or death.

In addition to these physical dangers, displaced sloths suffer from malnutrition, increased stress, higher vulnerability to predators, and are more likely to fall ill due to exposure and climate instability. Without secure forest pathways, the long-term survival of wild sloth populations is at serious risk.

That’s why we created the Sloth Speedways Program—a conservation initiative designed to reconnect fragmented rainforest by installing specially-placed rope bridges. These “speedways” allow sloths to safely navigate between trees, without ever having to come to the ground or venture near roads and electrical infrastructure. By restoring natural travel routes, we’re giving sloths safe access to the food and shelter they need to survive and thrive.

Imagine navigating your home blindfolded—with no roads, no safe paths, and danger lurking at every turn.

That’s what it’s like for sloths in the rainforest today.

As deforestation carves up their natural habitat, sloths are left stranded in isolated patches of forest, desperately trying to reach the food, shelter, and safety they once had access to. This journey can be fatal. When trees are gone, sloths are forced down to the ground where predators wait, or they attempt to cross roads and power lines, resulting in electrocution, injuries, or death.

At The Sloth Institute, we’re working to change that.

Dead sloth hanging from the electric wires

Donate & Sponsor a Sloth Speedway!

These aren’t just ropes. They’re lifelines.

Did you know? For every $5 donated, you will provide 1 meter of safe crossing for sloths. While each speedway’s length depends on the unique distance between two trees, we estimate it will take approximately 30 meters of rope to secure each connection properly.

Reconnect Forest

The Sloth Institute addresses sloth habitat fragmentation by installing wildlife rope bridges—what we call “Sloth Speedways”—to reconnect vital rainforest corridors and create safe travel routes for sloths and other arboreal animals.

More than Rope

Sloth Speedways are more than wildlife rope bridges over roads—they’re carefully placed lifelines in key forest areas where sloths naturally travel, helping them move safely and avoid roads, power lines, and fragmented habitat.

End Electrocution

Rope bridges over roads help—but they don’t stop most electrocutions or road accidents. Sloths and monkeys often still use power lines. That’s why guiding them away from roads is crucial. Learn more through our #ENDELECTROCUTIONS campaign.

Reconnecting Forests and Reforesting for Sloth Conservation

🌱The Sloth Institute Tree Nursery

At The Sloth Institute, our mission goes beyond building safe travel routes like our Sloth Speedways (wildlife rope bridges that reconnect fragmented forests). We are also actively engaged in reforestation efforts in Costa Rica, restoring critical habitat for sloths and other arboreal mammals.

In early 2024, we launched the TSI Tree Nursery, a dedicated program focused on growing and planting native trees in areas previously destroyed by agriculture or tourism development. Since then, we’ve already planted 935 native trees, and our goal for 2025 is to plant thousands more to restore sloth habitat and promote biodiversity.

But reforestation for sloths is about more than just planting trees. We carefully select native species that provide essential food sources and shelter specifically for sloths and other tree-dwelling wildlife. Every tree planted is a step toward rebuilding healthy ecosystems and securing a future for sloths in the wild.

Adopt-A-Tree with The Sloth Institute!

Discover how The Sloth Institute is reconnecting Costa Rica’s rainforest with new Sloth Speedways and native tree planting from our growing TSI Tree Nursery.