Applegater
Summer 2011 23
Of sloths and men
By JaKoB shoCKey
Dawn is a brisk moment on the
island of Escudo de Veraguas. So near the
equator, the sun breaks from the Caribbean
with vigor. The whole event hardly lasts a
half hour, the time it takes to get a pot of
water boiling and steep coffee grounds. We
took turns making coffee in the morning,
so that the others might only need to crawl
from their mosquito net and hammock
when it was ready. We drank it black, with
lots of sugar. In the Applegate, I never put
sugar in my coffee. None of us brought
utensils, so we drank out of coconut shell
bowls fashioned by our machetes. Only
now does it sound like a cliché.
I am pursuing a career in wildlife
medicine, and currently study at The
Evergreen State College in Olympia,
Washington. The pedagogy of this school
is such that I am trusted with structuring
my own education. This spring I took this
education to the Comarca Ngöbe-Buglé,
a roadless, indigenous region in northern
Panama. I went to the mainland village of
Kusapin, and 18 miles out to sea, to the
island of Escudo de Veraguas. This story is
not solely my own, for I traveled, ate and
sweated with two other students, Samual
Kaviar and Peter Sundberg. Much of this
is written in the plural voice, for it could
not have been experienced alone.
We went as students of animal
behavior (or ethology) to study the Pygmy
Three-toed Sloth, yet also with a focus
on conservation, for we had been well-
versed in the issues of the island of Escudo
beforehand. We stayed in Kusapin for a
few days at a time between our trips to
Escudo with a local boat captain. These
expeditions lasted some six days in length;
at this point we had often exhausted both
water and energy and would return to
town. As we went about surveying the
pygmy sloth population and collecting
behavioral data on Escudo, we used this
time ashore to raise awareness of our
purpose. Because we were white, and from
the States, the immediate opinion of many
was that we were on a privileged vacation.
The Namibian conservationist
Yet as students, we gave presentations in John Kasaona said, “Conservation will
the classrooms of Kusapin and met with fail if it does not work to improve the life
their mayor, talking always of Escudo’s of its local community.” We went to this
singular value. Eventually it was this community with these words as rhetoric,
investment in the community that shed yet they became a clear truth in our time
our identity as tourists.
there. Although tourism currently drives
The island of Escudo is small, overfishing on Escudo, perhaps it could
about 1.35 square miles, and lays low and also be its benefactor. This island is one
dark green against the horizon, consisting of those last places of true wildness and its
of a densely vegetated forest with patches potential for science is great. Yet currently,
of mangrove, sheltered by a barrier reef. both scientists and travelers charter
The island supports at least seven endemic expensive boats from the neighboring
species of animals—one of these is the regions to reach its remote environment.
pygmy sloth. Named to science in 2001 If this travel could instead be organized
as Breadypus pygmaeus, it is the sixth extant through the Ngöbe people, the effect on
species of sloth. The international Union their economy would be great. This would
Pygmy Three-toed Sloth
for Conservation of Nature has red-listed be the ultimate local incentive to protect
the pygmy sloth as critically endangered. the island. I believe this is also the only way is what our race does. Perhaps this time
It is threatened by both the fragility of its quiet pygmy sloth will avoid imminent we can take a different role.
island biogeography
extinction.
The people of Kusapin have
and recent habitat
Conservation
is
requested
our results as soon as we can
believe this is also the only way
fragmentation of the
a big-money business have them translated into Spanish, so
its quiet pygmy sloth will avoid
island’s mangrove imminent extinction.
and even now large that they might present our work before
swamps within
s u m s a r e b e i n g the regional congress in a bid for local
which the pygmy
collected to “protect” protection of the island. This is, of course,
sloths live. These mangrove trees have been the island and its sloths from the Ngöbe. but one step, yet it is in the best direction,
cut for the cooking fires of local fishermen, Conversations are taking place through the and I would conclude with this thought:
who fish from Escudo’s reefs to supply Internet and within expensive resorts. The We are in a position of power due to our
booming tourism in the neighboring Ngöbe are not part of this dialogue, nor do societal privilege in comparison to much
region. A simple enough story; change the they have any knowledge about it. Within of this world. Perhaps as more stories of
names and it is the story of many animals this conservation business, charismatic ecological struggle abroad like this one
and people upon our planet.
animals must be in imminent danger for accumulate, we can use this privilege
Although many scientific papers people to donate money, yet if the problem in a more productive manner than we
have been written about the island, we is solved locally, there ends the need for often do. We must utilize our access to
were the first researchers to share our donations. Europeans and Americans are knowledge and resources in support of
ideas with the local community. Even the efficient at finding beautiful land in need conservation, while respecting the rights
fact that Escudo’s sloths were a distinct of ”saving,” and kicking out those people of the indigenous population.
species came as a surprise to many of the who call it home, just “for the good” of
Jakob Shockey • 541-846-0312
locals. As we shared what we knew from something. If history is any testament, this
jakob.shockey@mac.com
our college library and our own research
This photo was taken approximately 90 feet above the forest floor,
upon the island, we found the community
while Jakob was learning to canopy climb on Isla Colón, Panama.
to be greatly interested. More than that,
our information on the singularity of their
land, inspired pride. These people began to
tell us that the island should be protected,
for perhaps its biodiversity was a resource
in itself.
I
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