Endangered Sloths Are in Dire Need of Protection

    Dear Editor, The sloth is a slow-moving mammal that lives in trees for their entire lives. They are considered to be so slow that people call those who are lazy as “sloths.”  Sloths have been roaming on the earth for millions of years.

    However, these amazing creatures are endangered because jaguars, harpy eagles and people continuously hunt them. Although sloths have the ability to camouflage into their habitat of trees, the tropical rainforests of South and Central America are currently chopped down every single day. The trees in the tropical rainforests of South America are not only endangering sloths but are also endangering other organisms. It has been recorded that ground-dwelling sloths that existed 11,000 years ago survived until the first humans arrived, which left out arboreal sloths to exist. Research supports the idea that humans were the cause of the extinction of giant sloths without even realizing it. Seeing how the extinction of one specie was due to the existence of another shows that it is necessary for humans to be careful of their activities in the habitats of other species. We must take action in taking care of our environment that is home to not only us but to the rest of the animals who live in it.

    — Chaewhan Shin
    Freshman, Sixth College

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