Urban Sloths: Public Knowledge, Opinions, and Interactions

• Main Authors: Kissia Ferreira Pereira, Robert John Young, Vanner Boere, Ita de Oliveira e Silva
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2018-06-01
• Series: Animals
• Subjects: brown-throated sloth; human-animal interactions; questionnaire; urban wildlife; Bradypus variegatus
• Online Access: http://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/8/6/90

Free-range sloths living in an urban environment are rare. In this study, the opinions, attitudes, and interactions with a population of Bradypus variegatus were investigated through short, structured interviews of people in the pubic square where the sloths live, in addition to informal, opportunistic observations of human-sloth interactions. A questionnaire was applied to people in the square where the sloths reside, and informal, opportunistic observations of human-sloth interactions were made. 95% of respondents knew of the sloths’ existence in the square and 87.8% liked their presence. Opinions about population size differed greatly and younger people were concerned as to whether the square was an appropriate place for them. Some human-sloth interactions showed the consequences of a lack of biological knowledge. People initiated all sloth-human interactions. The fact that sloths are strictly folivorous has avoided interactions with humans and, consequently, mitigated any negative impacts of the human-animal interaction on their wellbeing. These results demonstrate that, while there is a harmonious relationship between people and sloths, actions in environmental education of the square’s public could be beneficial for the sloths.