sloth santuary gamboa resort panama
The sloth sanctuary is one of four exhibits at Gamboa Rainforest Resort. It is the first and nearest to the hotel, followed by a butterfly farm, plant nursery, and amphibian/frog exhibition. They are adjacent to one another and connected by a narrow trail. The exhibits lie along the Chagres River and within walking distance of the hotel, though I believe transportation is available for guests.
The entry price of $23.00 includes visiting all four enclosures; you can not pay only to see the sloths. Preceding the sloth sanctuary is a gift shop where you'll find t-shirts, hats, bags, stuffed sloths, etc., for sale. While there are products of other interests, the store understandably focuses on sloths. Before entering the gift shop, you can pay for your tour at the reception desk; the Aerial Tram departs from here.
The sloth sanctuary is anything and everything but a sanctuary. It is, plain and simple, a zoo. There are three exhibits: a large one situated in the center and two smaller ones further back against the wall. Surrounding each is a four-foot-high cement wall, with no cage wire or netting to obstruct your view. On both sides of the center enclosure are bilingual signs offering information about sloths.
Each enclosure consists of a web of intersecting tree branches and a few potted plants near the corners along the floor. It's fair to say they are sparsely decorated. While open and airy, there isn't much for the animals. Between 5-10 sloths reside inside each exhibit, with the sloths never more than 5-7 ft. from the enclosure's perimeter. So, you can get much closer to them than you would in a natural setting. While it's common to see sloths in the wild hanging motionless for an extended period, they can move surprisingly fast; during feeding times, the sloths slide along the branches rather quickly.
A steel roof leaves the exhibits permanently in the shade. Even when sunny, it is dark underneath. Only the enclosure on the far right and against the back wall receives a marginal amount of sunlight. Therefore, if you are taking pictures, bring a flash or be prepared to bump up the ISO. A cell phone or lightweight DSRL/mirrorless camera mounted on a gimbal is probably the best way to photograph/video them.
The animals appear healthy and well-fed, and the staff seems genuinely interested in their welfare, but they are deprived, like in most zoos. I saw several sloths curling on the floor near the plant pots, exhibiting behavior one would typically associate with house cats, which I found concerning and disheartening. They are certainly not wild!
To sum things up. If you've never seen a sloth and are desperate to see one or have young children begging to visit, it might be worthwhile, but in my opinion, it's falsely advertised. If they channel 100% of the profit into conservation efforts, e.g., animal reproduction/re-introduction, habitat restoration, etc., then I'm all for it. But, if it's solely serving as a cash cow for individuals or private concerns, I'm not. Everybody loves to see animals, but it shouldn't come at their expense. Overall, the sloth sanctuary was a disappointment.
The butterfly farm is encased in a thin, black mesh fabric, allowing rain and sunlight to enter and air to flow freely. (This is the type of enclosure I expected to see when visiting the sloths. More open, spacious, and resembling their natural habitat.)
A narrow, well-defined gravel trail leads you through the enclosure, which is small and includes a small pond. I saw a few blue-morpho butterflies but not much else.
If staying at the Gamboa Resort, a casual walk around the hotel grounds or on one of their many trails will likely bring the same results. Unfortunately, there wasn't much to see.
The plant nursery is partially enclosed with the same mesh as the butterfly farm, with the remaining portion open-aired. The nursery serves as a repository for the resort, so I don't think you'll find any/many plant species that aren't endemic to the region. Unfortunately, there weren't many plants flowering during my visit, but that could be normal during this time of year—January. My bad luck!
As with the butterfly farm, I'm inclined to think that a leisurely walk around the resort will deliver equal or better results. If you've paid to enter, it's worth a visit, but there isn't much to see; I took these pictures elsewhere.
And finally, the amphibian/frog exhibit. Like thround the rim aree sloth sanctuary, the frog enclosure has a four-foot-high wall around its perimeter. It is in the shape of a circle, measuring approximately 15-20 feet across. A a few marred signs with information relating to the frogs. Unfortunately, I was unable to find a single frog during my visit. Overall, the exhibition appeared neglected, like the two exhibits that preceded it.
There is no Metro bus service to Gamboa, only to Summit Gardens. However, there are small, privately owned mini-buses that service Gamboa Resort and will drop you off/pick you up just a few feet from the entrance to the sloth sanctuary. These buses depart from the far end of the bus terminal to the right and behind the "Pio Pio" chicken. You will need a green-orange-blue Rapi>Pass to proceed through the turnstile. There is a machine on the corner, to the right of "Pio Pio," where you can purchase one for $2.00.
The trip costs $2-3 each way per person and lasts 35-45 minutes, depending on traffic. Unfortunately, they only depart four times a day: 5:30 am, 8:00 am, 12:00, and 2:00 pm., and return from Gamboa one hour later.