As soon as I heard about the Aviarios Del Caribe sloth sanctuary in Costa Rica I knew it would be perfect for the Cute Show. It’s the world’s only sloth orphanage, home to over a hundred very sleepy urchins whose lives have been saved by legendary sloth whisperer Judy Arroyo.
Sloths are fantastically weird animals, the junkies of the jungle who seem to spend their lives either nodding off or scratching and occasionally eating a bean or two before drifting back to what looks like a blissful sleep.
The babies are especially helpless and comical and I fell in love with them immediately. So I cut a few choice clips together to show my old colleague VBS UK producer Vida Toombs and Cute Show creator Amy Kellner and posted the video on my Vimeo page. To my surprise the clip went viral and was watched by a million people in a week. Clearly I was not alone in thinking that these animals had super squee powers. So here is my Cute Show about the sloths, the perfect prelude to a sneaky daytime nap.
If you fall for these animals like I did then you can join the sanctuary’s volunteer programme. Trainee sloth wranglers get to feed the sloths and help exercise and potty train the babies. The sanctuary runs on donations and voluntary help so you can do your bit by helping these vulnerable creatures whose jungle home is being slowly destroyed by pesticides, sold off to US real estate agencies and sliced up by roads and power lines.
Here are some links:
Sloth Sanctuary:www.slothrescue.org
My Vimeo page: http://vimeo.com/11712103
—LUCY COOKE
More From This Show
-
Capybara Bathhouse!
The capybara at Nagasaki Bio Park in Japan love to take dips in the park's hot springs. The park allows visitors to get up close with the animals, so we tried our best to make friends with these shy l…
-
Wiener Dog Races!
With their tiny legs, you'd think wiener dogs (or dachshunds, if you're a fancy lad) would be slow. NOT TRUE. These little ankle-nibblers can probably run faster than you and your lazy dog put togethe…
-
Surfing Dogs!
We all love dogs. But here at The Cute Show, we REALLY love dogs, and when you add in the fact that these dogs can surf... well, our cold little VICE hearts just about broke during this shoot. So plea…
-
Nigerian Pygmy Goats!
Rehoboth, Massachusetts is just a hop, skip, and jump away from NYC so we when we heard that our pal's family farm had just acquired three baby pygmy goats (easily one of the top ten cutest animals of…
-
Sugar Gliders!
VICE fashion editor Annette Lamothe-Ramos introduces us to her parents' sugar gliders, Sonny and Cher.
-
Burrolandia!
A haven for cute and cuddly donkeys.
-
Dog Circus!
Can your pup jump rope? If not, don't feel bad. These are are special dogs who playfully show off their tricks at a Japanese dog circus.
-
Prague Ratters!
The Prazsky Krysarik, aka the Prague Ratter, is considered the smallest breed in the world. The word Ratter means a dog that's used to catch rats, but these days they're too busy being adorable to wor…
-
Neapolitan Mastiffs!
Neapolitan Mastiffs are a rare purebred that originated near Naples and descend directly from the Tibetan Mastiff, the king of all the mastiff dogs.
-
Lovely Owls!
Meet Molla. She is an Internet star and her name means 'spring' in Italian. She got it because she likes to jump up and down a lot.
-
We Spoke to a Former Crack Addict About Rob Ford
Chatting with an expert about Rob Ford's crack scandal.
-
VICE News: B.C. Bud
Visiting grow ops and the RCMP to chat about weed and weed production.
-
Pakistan's Election Went Off Without a Hitch... Sort Of
Just being able to transition governmental authority without military involvement is a victory.
-
Speaking with Adam Kokesh, Before He Was Detained by the Feds
This would be the first in a series of controversies surrounding Adam and his politics.
-
In Search of Tim Dog, the Rapper Turned Con Artist Who Probably Faked His Own Death
This February, the legendary rapper turned grifter Tim Dog died. So why is there a warrant out for his arrest?
-
George's Fun Happy Place
George has a lot of problems to overcome, but he's capable of an incredible lightness.
-
Psychic Melt: The Art of Alexandra Mackenzie
Noodle faces, girls with guns, wolves, galaxies, reptiles, crystals, and more.
-
VICE News: Triple Hate
'Triple Hate' is a four-part documentar
-
VICE on HBO Outtakes: Tobaccoland
Thomas Morton gets a full smoke-therapy treatment in Malang.
-
Fringes: Deportee Purgatory
Tijuana’s El Bordo is home to thousands of heroin-addicted Mexican deportees.
-
Is War Brewing in Niger?
If the latest terrorist attack is any indication, the answer might be yes.
-
The Creators Project: Turning CCTV Footage into Art
An invasion of privacy and erosion of our civil liberties can serve as a source for art.
-
Meet the Nieratkos: Jeff Grosso Has a Beautiful Mind
Is Jeff Grosso the last vestige of free speech in skateboarding?
-
Carlos Rafael and His Fish Are the American Dream
I spoke to him about cod and federal tax evasion.
-
Pen Pals: HardWhite and Harry Potter
Little white wizards get no play in county lockup.
-
This Week in Racism: Sergio Garcia Can't Wait to Serve Tiger Woods Fried Chicken
Golf is racist.
-
We Watched the Suburbs of Stockholm Burn
Are the riots in the suburbs of Stockholm a real threat or just some bored, teenage pyros?
-
Ryan Florig Blends Skate Photography with Guns, Weed, and Fire
This Washington-based photographer thrives on the principles of street photography.
-
Facebook and Censorship's Slippery Slope
You're not in America when you're on Facebook—you're on the internet.
-
Director Alex Gibney on Hackers and Julian Assange
If Michael Moore is obsessed with outra
-
MMA's Greatest Moment (and Ben Henderson's Worst) Makes Its Way into the Mainstream
As long as he lives, Ben Henderson will never be free of Anthony Pettis’ mind-scrambling kick.
-
George's Fun Happy Place
George has a lot of problems to overcome, but he's capable of an incredible lightness.
-
What Does Terrorism Mean in 2013?
It's a difficult word to define, according to Glenn Greenwald.
-
Fringes: The Warrior State
Mexican civilians who are taking justice into their own hands.
-
VICE News: Triple Hate
'Triple Hate' is a four-part documentar
-
Pump It Up
Photos by Anna Ryon and styling by Lola Chatterton.
-
Get Rich or High Trying
The smart money is increasingly looking to marijuana as the nation's biggest new business.
-
Murderous Fanatics and EDL Idiots Brought Darkness to Woolwich Yesterday
We spent the day there trying to make sense of it all.
-
A Few Impressions: 'Leviathan,' I Love You
It holds up a mirror to nature, but this mirror came from a funhouse.
-
The Loneliness of the Village at the End of the World
Niaqornat's residents fight alcoholism and suicide as their village sinks into the Arctic.
-
Hamilton's Pharmacopeia: Tanks for the Memories
What happens to the mind, body, and spirit while inside the tank.
-
Deportee Purgatory
About 40 percent of Mexican immigrants deported from the US are sent back through Tijuana.
-
VICE News: Sisa: Cocaine of the Poor
A new drug called sisa is tearing its way through Athens' poor.
Related Shows
-
Our favorite bits of our favorite country (USA).
-
Finding Fashion's buried nuggets of greatness.
-
A fresh look at the lives of five young creatives from Londo…
-
No one is safe.
-
Watch Eddie Huang eat food and do cool shit.
Deportee Purgatory
Welcome to Tijuana’s El Bordo 
'Leviathan,' I Love You
James Franco at the Movies 
Juggalos Are OK, Cupid
Don’t Be a Tumblr Asshole 
Get Rich or High Trying
The Coming Age of Corporate Cannabis 
Triple Hate - Part 1
The KKK vs. the Crips vs. Memphis City Council 
Rave and Hardcore YouTube Comments
They Will Restore Your Faith in Humanity 
Comments