Happy Birthday Cinnamon!
This month we are celebrating a very special girl’s birthday. On 16th March, Cinnamon the two-toed sloth turns 16!
Cinnamon has spent most of her life at The Living Rainforest, where she has become a wonderful ambassador for her species. In the wild, two-toed sloths are beginning to see a decline in their populations, largely due to deforestation and habitat loss. By meeting Cinnamon and learning about her story, visitors can better understand the challenges sloths face and why protecting rainforests is so important.
Sloths are perfectly adapted to life upside down. Everything about Cinnamon — from her organs to her fur — is built for this unique lifestyle. Her internal organs are positioned to function comfortably while hanging, preventing pressure on her lungs as she dangles from branches. She has long, curved claws that act like natural hooks, allowing her to grip securely with very little effort. Even her fur grows in the opposite direction to most mammals, helping rainwater run off while she hangs beneath branches. These remarkable adaptations allow sloths like Cinnamon to spend most of their lives suspended in the treetops, safe, energy-efficient, and right at home in the rainforest canopy.