Traipsing...: Tiempos de bebes!

This post is dedicated to my favourite time of the day- BABY TIME!

Poco and Shiloh getting ready for baby time

At around 10am each day we are allocated "baby time". As all of the babies are still gaining strength, their enclosures do not have elaborate climbing structures. So there is a jungle gym in one of the clearings in the sanctuary where we take the babies out to get some climbing experience. First of all, we have to take them out of their enclosures by having them hold on to the front of our bodies while we take them over to the gym.

Taking Mateo out for a climb

When we reach the gym, the babies are encouraged to start climbing by using their hands to grip onto the branches, whilst we support their body weight until they are balanced... and then off they go!

It's amazing, because each baby is different. Some are superstars, and race around as soon as they reach the gym. Others are a bit more hesitant, and take a bit of encouragement... sometimes they will start climbing but quickly return to you and reach out so you can take them again. Either way, the best thing you can do is support them when they need it, but really encourage them to climb on different areas of the gym.

The cutest thing is watching them go to the toilet. You have to place them at the bottom of a post, and they do this cute little bopping movement while they do a poop.

Becky getting Mateo ready for a toilet break

Perfect position!

Except that he fell asleep :(

My first baby time adventure was with Shiloh who is the smallest of the "big" babies (little babies stay inside in the house in incubators because, amazingly, sloths can't regulate their body temperatures like most mammals, and rely on external heat and cooling sources). He's usually inseparable from his bed buddy, Poco, but over the past week he has gained so much confidence and is now climbing faster and further than any of the other babies!

Go Shiloh, go!

But then he has enough, and starts to cry...

So he reaches out for a helping hand :)

It is such a wonderful experience to be able to watch these animals problem solve and strategise! Sometimes they get a bit too close to each other, and it creates a bit of a traffic jam... but with a bit of redirection you can usually help them sort it out before someone gets too fed up and starts to bite or scratch.

One of the cutest parts is watching the 3-fingered Bradypus sloths (there are two species- two fingered and three fingered) go for a climb. They are so much slower than the two fingered babies, but they still love getting out and showing off their skills!

Bindi and Arthur about to get into a traffic jam

Hang on tightly!

Corey prefers the ground

But sometimes we can get him on the baby jungle gym!

So as you guys can imagine, I'm counting the seconds until 10am each day! But my next update will definitely be an adult one- I am getting to know all of the personalities now, and I am still learning new and amazing sloth facts every single day! Until next time, here are some cutesy shots :)