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At some point in the last few years, sloths superseded kittens and puppies to become the cutest animals on the internet. I blame the 2011 Animal Planet special “Too Cute!” Baby Sloths, but it’s not the only documentary chock full of adorable slow-moving sloths. Nature: A Sloth Named Velcro just landed on Netflix and it’s a must see for any self-proclaimed sloth fan. (I’m looking at you, Kristen Bell.)
The hour-long special follows the story of Spanish journalist and conservationist Ana Salceda. Over 14 years ago, she moved to Panama for work and wound up falling in love with a one-month old sloth. After reluctantly adopting the orphaned animal and naming it Velcro, Salceda found her life transformed. As she and Velcro’s friendship evolved over time, Salceda had to confront the pain of returning Velcro to the wild where she belonged. This only inspired the journalist to investigate the life of sloths and what we can do to not only save them as a species, but to conserve their environment.
Unlike the aforementioned “Too Cute!” Baby Sloths, Nature: A Sloth Named Velcro doesn’t just focus on the lives of sloths in captivity, but how the animals are actually supposed to live in the wild. It’s easy to think of these goofy-faced mammals as chill love monkeys waiting to be adopted as pets, but they are feral creatures who have a symbiotic relationship with nature. Velcro and Ana’s story highlights how the naturally sweet animals are prone to imprinting on humans, but it’s best in the end that they live on their own. The documentary is full of both science and sweetness and is sure to be a delight for any sloth fans. Unless, of course, you’re a fan of Sloth from The Goonies. If so, you might be disappointed. [Watch Nature: A Sloth Named Velcro on Netflix]
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[Gifs: PBS]
