While two-toed sloths like Sylvia and Sid spend most of their time enjoying the leisurely lifestyle, there are a couple of exceptions: during mating and on days like these, when a procedure to halt conception is in order.
On Thursday, veterinarians Dr. Doug Mader, Dr. Geraldine Diethelm and Dr. Kevin Fitzgerald worked diligently on the female sloth, Sylvia, to remove a previous birth control implant and replace it with a melengestrol acetate (MGA) device. Farmers Jeanne Selander and Aja Ferretti assisted with the procedure in the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office Animal Farm’s mobile clinic.
Sid and Sylvia were placed at the Animal Farm over a year ago after the Shell Factory Nature Park in Fort Myers shut down in September 2024. Since then, the pair have started to grow more accustomed to their new setting and warmed up to the staff…