Transit police in Ecuador last week dealt with an unusual but obscenely cute situation: the rescue of this dorky-looking little sloth on the side of a highway. Look at the little guy!


According to the police, an officer noticed the hairy, claw-y little bear grabbing hold of that guard rail after struggling to cross the busy highway. The sloth was later taken to a vet to get checked out before being released to his habitat.

Based on the pool of liquid around him, it’s safe to say the sloth was more than a little scared.


In response to the outpouring of support for the little sloth, the transit commission released this statement on Facebook (translated from Spanish):

Dear, we are grateful to all for your concern. Be advised, the sloth bear rescued by our unis was reviewed by a veterinarian, the same one that determined that I was in optimal conditions to be returning to their habitat. We are grateful to all those people who were interested in the health of the animal. We will continue to support this kind of cases along with the collaboration of citizenship. Greetings to all.



Good on you, Comisión de Tránsito del Ecuador!

More photos of this little joker, because why not:



Photos from: Comisión de Tránsito del Ecuador’s Facebook page.

Hat tip to Nicole!