The Illegal Traffic in Sloths and Threats to Their Survival in Colombia

Abstract

The illegal trade in wildlife is driven by the high demand in national and international urban centers, making wildlife trafficking the third most lucrative criminal enterprise in Colombia, after the trade in weapons and drugs (CITES, 2005; Rodríguez and Echeverry, 2005). Together with the swift and perva- sive destruction of tropical forests, this places many of the species reliant on these ecosystems in danger of extinction. This report is based on our observations at the UNAU Foundation sloth rehabilitation center during its first five years of operation, from 2000 to 2005, in the city of Medellín. Here we show how independent pres- sures have combined to threaten the survival of sloths in Colombia.