12 of the Cutest Sloths You've Ever Seen!

Kids brought the Arroyos an orphaned sloth in 1991, kicking off their sloth-rescuing operation. Now Buttercup greets visitors and “knows that she is the spokesperson for the sloths of tropical America and takes her duties very, very seriously,” says Avey-Arroyo.

Raised together as sisters, Pandora, Santie, Sheena and Tori enjoy a meal with an injured adult. “They are now inseparable. … Best Friends Forever!” says Avey-Arroyo.

Kinkajous, monkeys, felines, coatis, grisons, pelicans and all kinds of critters have shown up at the door of the the Aviaros Sloth Sanctuary. They’ve saved 60 non-sloths, including Spike, a baby Mexican hairy tree porcupine, who loves to cuddle.

The best part of running the sanctuary is seeing injured or sick sloths returned to health, says Avey-Arroyo. The “Slothpital” treats lots of vehicle and powerline injuries, including Leena’s – horrifically, she was hit by a car, then set on fire. Luckily, she made it to the sanctuary, where she fully recovered and has a permanent home.

This little two-toed baby arrived with mange and had to put up with daily baths. “Some of our babies are ‘kissers,’ licking us all over our faces. Others could not care less if they ever give us a kiss!” says Avey-Arroyo.

Poor Jewel fell 90 feet from a tree onto a cement sidewalk. She had to wear these bandages for three months while her broken arm healed. Avey-Arroyo says seeing these recoveries “fill me with joy and the knowledge that I have helpedthese beautiful animals trying to live in a very difficult world.”

When a chemical fire burned the forest where Maggie and Molly lived, they didn’t know where to go. Rescuers whisked them to the center, where they now live in peace.

Read more about the Aviarios Sloth Sanctuary – and how to help!