Win a Sloth Experience & Help Protect Wild Sloths

Published 12.10.26:

A sloth who was hand-reared by keepers here at Drusillas after losing her mother as a baby is helping us celebrate ‘Slothtober’ in a very special way - by raising vital funds to protect her wild cousins in Costa Rica. Ahead of International Sloth Day on Tuesday, 20th October, we've launched a special fundraising prize draw offering one lucky winner the chance to meet Flash, one of our amazing Linne’s two-toed sloths, and Gemma Romanis, our Head Keeper, who helped care for her from just a few weeks old.

For just £5 per entry, supporters can enter the prize draw via Crowdfunder at https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/win-a-close-encounter-with-flash-the-sloth for the chance to win this unforgettable experience. All proceeds from the prize draw will be donated to SloCo (the Sloth Conservation Foundation) a Costa Rica-based conservation charity dedicated to protecting wild sloths and their habitats.

Now a healthy 10-year-old, Flash has come a long way since arriving at Drusillas as a baby in 2016. Following the loss of her mother shortly afterwards, Gemma and Zoo Manager Mark Kenward took on the incredible responsibility of hand-rearing her, providing round-the-clock care and waking throughout the night to feed her every three hours. They even created special activity pens in their own homes to help Flash build the strength and coordination she needed as she grew.

Gemma said: “It was tough, but we couldn’t have been happier with Flash’s progress and looking at her today still makes me proud of what we achieved. This was the first sloth baby at the zoo, so it was a real learning curve. Sloths are nocturnal creatures, so we had to adapt and get up through the night with her, for around 11 months. It was exhausting but so rewarding and definitely one of the highlights of my career!”

Gemma continued, “We wanted to celebrate Flash’s 10th birthday while supporting Slothtober, SloCo’s month-long campaign to raise funds and awareness of the threats sloths face. A fundraising prize draw seemed like the perfect way to do both,” she explained.

“We’re hoping to raise £2,000 to support SloCo’s vital conservation work, including the creation of bridges that connect tree canopies. These allow wild sloths to move safely between trees without having to descend to the ground, where they’re vulnerable due to their slow movement, or risk climbing onto dangerous power lines.”

Gemma saw the importance of this work firsthand during a field visit to Costa Rica in 2023, when she witnessed the devastating consequences of power line electrocution. A sloth had mistaken a live power line for a tree branch, suffering severe burns and wounds to its face and limbs. Tragically, another sloth had been electrocuted on the very same power line just weeks earlier and had not survived.

With an estimated 3,000 sloths electrocuted every year in Costa Rica, the need for action is urgent. Every pound raised by Drusillas fundraiser will help support SloCo’s vital work to protect these vulnerable animals and make their rainforest habitat safer.

Sloths are among Drusillas Park’s most popular animals, with waiting lists often stretching months for visitors hoping to enjoy one of the zoo’s sloth experiences. This prize draw offers one lucky winner the chance to skip the queue and enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime encounter with Flash. The experience includes hand-feeding Flash and spending time with Gemma, who will share Flash’s remarkable story and answer questions about these fascinating animals. The prize also includes free entry to Drusillas Park for two people and a sloth cuddly toy to take home.

The fundraiser forms part of Drusillas’ wider commitment to conservation through its charitable arm, Drusillas Conservation in Action. The initiative was established to help protect global biodiversity while educating visitors about the threats facing wildlife around the world.

Drusillas has a strong history of supporting conservation efforts in Costa Rica, having raised more than £13,000 for SloCo through a series of fundraisers. In 2023, Drusillas staff also travelled to Costa Rica to work alongside the SloCo team, sharing their expertise and knowledge in the field.

Funds raised could support a range of vital conservation projects, including the installation of Sloth Crossing canopy bridges, tree planting initiatives and the purchase of GPS tracking collars. These collars allow researchers to track wild sloth populations more accurately and gain a better understanding of their movements and behaviour.

Accurate population data is essential to effective conservation. Without it, governments may lack the evidence needed to introduce protective legislation, while conservation organisations may struggle to assess the impact of their programmes or monitor the genetic diversity of wild sloth populations. By supporting this research, Drusillas can help contribute to informed conservation decisions and the long-term protection of sloths in the wild.

The prize draw closes on 31 October.

Anyone wishing to support the appeal and enter the prize draw can donate via the crowdfunder here.