Richie, the one-armed, two-toed sloth, had his story shared in March about how he was brought into Alturas Wildlife Sanctuary with bite wounds sustained from a dog attack. As a result of these injuries, he had to have his right arm amputated. After months of rehabilitation he was able to move well and we decided that he was a candidate for release. However, we have never released an amputee before so we thought it was vital we monitored his progress. We preferred to do it with a VHF tracking collar so we could find him every day, record his activities and ensure his success in the wild. We are pleased to say, through generous donations the funds were raised and the tracking system was bought. These collars are made to be placed in ways that do not hinder natural movements or interfere with instinctive behaviors. After careful observation, we were confident in how Richie was moving with his new collar on and he was released on June 19th.
Every day, staff and volunteers go to great measures to locate him by using the tracking equipment. When found, the tree he is in is marked. In addition, GPS points, the circumference of the tree, type of tree, and the height he is spotted at, are all recorded. We do this to ensure he is climbing trees which are suitable for sloths, and that he is staying high enough to remain safe. We will also use this information for future research or data comparison with other sloths that we, or others, may potentially release and track. His movements have been far and high on a regular basis. This is great news because he is moving well and in natural ways.
Our plan is to follow Richie for six months in order to be confident in his success in the wild. After this time, we will remove the collar and use it for other animals that we may need to track in the future.
By Animal Welfare | Tiffany Schroeder
CONTACT: Tiffany Schroeder - www.facebook.com/alturaswildlifesanctuary - www.alturaswildlifesanctuary.org
