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FOR YOU, FOR FREE: 17 years' worth of firsthand Costa Rica trip planning and travel advice compiled into hundreds of articles, plus exclusive discounts. Created by a Costa Rican and a four-time published Costa Rica guidebook author. Welcome, amigos, and as we say in Costa Rica, pura vida!

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Costa Rica Sloths: Meet Rapida, Our Friendly Surprise Houseguest

Costa Rica Sloths: Meet Rapida, Our Friendly Surprise Houseguest

Last updated on October 18th, 2017 at 04:45 pm GMT-6 (Costa Rica time)


Written by Nikki Solano

Nikki is the CEO of Pura Vida! eh? Inc. (Costa Rica Discounts), and the author of the guidebooks Moon Costa Rica (2019, 2021, 2023, and 2025 editions) and Moon Best of Costa Rica (2022 edition) from Moon Travel Guides. Together with her Costa Rican husband, Ricky, she operates the Costa Rica Travel Blog, created the online community DIY Costa Rica, built the Costa Rica Destination Tool, oversees the brand-new (summer 2023) Costa Rica Travel Shop, and designed the Costa Rica Trip Planning 101 E-Course. Also, Nikki wrote the Costa Rica cover feature for Wanderlust Magazine's sustainability-focused Travel Green List issue, showcased Costa Rica destinations and experiences on Rick Steves' Monday Night Travel show and podcast/radio show, and served as the Costa Rica Destination Editor for Essentialist, a luxury travel brand. Want to show your appreciation for her free article below? Thank Nikki here. ❤️️

Costa Rica Travel Consulting Nikki Solano


Get the Costa Rica info you need by browsing our article's TABLE OF CONTENTS:

SLOTHS IN COSTA RICA: MEET RAPIDA

Here’s a first for us. We are familiar with Costa Rica sloths–we’ve seen them hanging out in the trees overhead while exploring Costa Rica’s numerous national parks, watched one glide across a telephone cable in Monteverde, and even transported one to a local zoo just outside La Fortuna de San Carlos that had fallen from a tree and was lying on the side of the road (it sadly passed away in our van en route)–however, we have never had the privilege of entertaining one at home. Not until this past week, that is.

Costa Rica sloths
Costa Rica sloths; our friendly houseguest!

Meet Rapida (“fast”), a sloth that randomly showed up on our back porch. We gave her the cheeky moniker as she was the speediest three-toed sloth in Costa Rica that we have ever seen.

Typically known for being agonizingly slow movers, this particular Costa Rican sloth made her way around the house in no time at all. She visited with us for a few hours (napping every so often as sloths regularly do) before she continued on to the nearby forest.

Here’s a short video of Rapida on the move. Oops! She accidentally bumps her head on our lightbulb.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Et_gpJ6YGsU?rel=0&w=560&h=315]

DIY COSTA RICA SLOTH COSTUME

If you’re feeling creative next Hallowe’en, follow the instructions we offer here to make your own three-toed Costa Rica sloth costume!

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT COSTA RICA SLOTHS

For more information about Costa Rica sloths (specifically the three-toed variety, like Rapida), apart from visiting Costa Rica and experiencing them firsthand of course, check out National Geographic’s biography.

QUESTION TO COMMENT ON: Costa Rica sloths are one of the cutest species of local wildlife; do you agree or disagree?

Pura vida!

If you’re more of a visual learner, take a moment to view our gallery photos below from Rapida’s visit.

Costa Rica Sloths: Meet Rapida, Our Friendly Surprise Houseguest



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Viewing 26 reply threads
  • Author
    Posts
  • #195491
    Jodie Tenicin Smith
    Guest

    These are wonderful!! Thank you for sharing!! 🙂

  • #195492
    captainofadventures
    Guest

    Sloths are unbelievably cute. One of my new students said of everything Costa Rica has to offer, he is most excited about seeing a sloth. Love it. Great post and great luck!

  • #195493
    ryan
    Guest

    wow… this is the first time i heard and saw a sloth…
    cutey.

  • #195494
    theresaconn21
    Guest

    I really enjoy the pictures of you guys posing next to him. He looks SO UNAMUSED.

  • #195495
    Animalcouriers
    Guest

    What a delightful guest to have visit! We’d have to agree they are the cutest we’ve seen.

  • #195496
    WhichEverWay
    Guest

    That is incredibly cute! Need to get to Costa Rica just to make a sloth friend if anything 🙂

  • #195497
    westseventhfreelance
    Guest

    I think she is gorgeous! She is smiling all the while…I could not play the video :(. It is just a black box. What a fantastic experience to have such a visit…I visited Costa Rica as a little girl (47 years ago!!). I have so many vivid memories of black, volcanic sand, coffee plantations, amazing plants/ trees. Never a sloth though!

  • #195498
    westseventhfreelance
    Guest

    Ahhh! The video came up after i posted my comment 🙂

  • #195499
    fotogfoodie
    Guest

    Incredible! What an awesome surprise guest to have 🙂 Gorgeous photos of Rapida!

Viewing 26 reply threads
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