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The Philippine Consulate General in Dubai also assured the public that all efforts are being taken to ensure that affected Filipinos are provided assistance
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Look: Dubai's tropical rainforest gets two sloth sisters
These mammals found in the rainforest canopies of Central and South America have now found their home in the emirate
Two young sloths have joined the animal family at the Green Planet Dubai, becoming the latest attractions at the indoor tropical rainforest in the city, home to over 3,000 plants and animals across four indoor levels.
The sloths, who are sisters, join Liam, Lemon and Lime, the three sloths already housed at the attraction, expanding the snuggle of sloths at the Green Planet Dubai, the attraction said in a statement.
Welcoming the two young sloth sisters who are yet to be named, Green Planet explained that these are extremely slow-moving mammals found in the rainforest canopies of Central and South America — and they "have now found their home in Dubai".
The statement added that guests can get "closer than ever to the most beloved animals at the biodome through the Green Planet’s Sloth Experience". Not only is the Green Planet the only place in Dubai where sloth enthusiasts interact with the cuddly species, but they will also be able to click pictures right alongside them in the rainforest bio-dome and learn why these sleepy mammals are so important to the rainforest.
Sara Stevens, head of Operations and Curator, The Green Planet, said: “We are beyond excited to grow the sloth family in Dubai by welcoming two yet-to-be-named sisters. There is so much to see and learn about them, beyond their sleepy nature. We are proud to be the first and only to offer an educational, up-close experience with sloths in such a natural, free-roaming environment. Bringing the sisters to Dubai is a great way to spread more local awareness of the species and enhance support for conservation.”
The species of sloth at the Green Planet are two-toed sloths, with two toes on their front paws and three toes on the hind paws. Two-toed sloths are of least concern in the wild, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
The Green Planet added that it offers a Sloth Encounter with a maximum eight participants per session, including a 30-minute session once per day at 1:30pm. Guests can also attend the Sloth Biologist Talk once a day at 5:00pm. Ticket prices start from Dh335 per person. Limited slots are available, and bookings have to be made in advance.
Fun facts about sloths:
- Sloths are known for their sleepy behaviour. They sleep for 15-20 hours each day and are most active at night.
- Due to sleeping most of the day and moving very slowly, sloths are notoriously difficult to spot.
- It can take a sloth up to a month to fully digest its food.
- Sloths will only use the bathroom about once per week. Instead of using the bathroom from the canopy (which could lead predators to them because of the smell), sloths will climb down the tree to the forest to do their bathroom "sloth dance". Usually, this is when a sloth is most vulnerable to predation. But this also benefits plants and insects by leaving behind some helpful fertiliser.
- A sloth's most common predators are jaguars and harpy eagles.
- In the wild, sloths mostly feed on leaves as they are readily available, but they will also feed on flowers and fruits when they are in season.
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