This is the heartbreaking moment a crying baby sloth is found stranded on a beach trapped between two rocks.

The rare two-toed sloth was soaked in sea water and had sand in its eyes when it was found by the ocean in Punta Tigre, Costa Rica.

Footage shows the young animal clinging to a stone while crying out for help, with no sign of any of its family.

The rare two-toed sloth was soaked in sea water, had sand in its eyes and was stuck between two rocks when it was found on a beach in Punta Tigre, Costa Rica

Dirk Morgan used a towel to dry off the soaked sloth and put him in a box to transport him to an animal rescue centre

The sloth is noticeably shaken up after surviving high-tide and storms from the night before.

Dirk Morgan, from Ohio, said: 'We own a lodge in a remote section of Costa Rica. Our guest told us of a baby sloth that they saw about a half mile down the beach on the rocks still alive.

'The sun had only been up for about an hour after a stormy night and high tide. We ran down to find it before it died and scared off a couple of dogs who were about to run up on it.

The sloth was noticeably shaken up after surviving high-tide and storms from the night before

Handle with care! Mr Morgan dried the sloth off and wrapped it in a towel. He said dogs were luring around the animal before he arrived

Mr Morgan said: 'We then took the baby sloth to the animal rescue center at Tranquility just down the road. He seemed to be fine and happy to be dried off and safe'

'It was wet with salt water and had sand in its eyes. It appeared tired and scared and began to cry out to us as we approached.

'With no adult sloths in site we carefully placed him in a box with a towel then took him back to the lodge and rinsed the salt water off its face.

'We then took the baby sloth to the animal rescue center at Tranquility just down the road. He seemed to be fine and happy to be dried off and safe.'