Camera traps show sloth rope bridges in Costa Rica being used by sloths and other animals

# What the crossings are Conservation groups in Costa Rica have installed canopy rope systems—commonly called "sloth crossings"—to reconnect fragmented sections of rainforest canopy. The Sloth Conservation Foundation (SloCo) builds these links so sloths and other arboreal animals can cross roads, fences, gardens, and other gaps without descending to the ground where they face vehicles, dogs, and power-line electrocutions.

# Why these crossings matter Sloths move very slowly and can't jump or run to cross gaps. Habitat fragmentation forces some animals to drop to the ground, which increases their risk of injury, death, and isolation. The crossings provide a route that keeps animals at canopy height, helping both individual safety and population health by reducing inbreeding risk when animals can reach more distant mates.

# How the bridges are built and how much they cost

# Camera traps and what they showed Each crossing includes camera traps to record use. Cameras trigger on heat or movement, though very slow-moving animals can sometimes move too slowly to set them off. In one six-month deployment, a camera captured over 6,000 photos. Roughly 4,000 of those images showed howler monkeys using the bridge. Early users often include kinkajous and opossums, sometimes within days of installation. Sloths are recorded too, though they sometimes bypass the trigger because of their slow pace.

# Outcomes reported so far Funders and conservation partners report measurable impacts: over 400 crossings installed across Costa Rica, reconnecting more than 19,000 acres of forest. In target areas these crossings are associated with an 82% reduction in wildlife injury and conflict. The presence of crossings also supports genetic health by allowing sloths to travel farther to find unrelated mates.

# Community involvement and placement SloCo installs crossings over roads and works with private landowners to add crossings anywhere canopy connectivity has been broken—across backyards, fences, driveways, and between local businesses and schools. The projects are positioned as practical, site-specific solutions that allow human land use and wildlife movement to coexist.

# Practical takeaway Rope-and-vine canopy crossings are a low-tech, relatively low-cost method to reduce common threats to arboreal mammals in fragmented forests. Camera-trap monitoring provides evidence of multi-species use and helps quantify benefits. Where canopy gaps exist near roads or human developments, these crossings can be an immediate mitigation tool while longer-term habitat protection proceeds.