Families and animal lovers have the chance to win a memorable encounter with one of Drusillas Park’s much-loved sloths while supporting vital conservation work in Costa Rica.
The Sussex zoo has launched a fundraising prize draw to celebrate Slothtober, a month-long campaign raising awareness and funds to protect wild sloths. With entries costing just £5, one lucky winner will enjoy a special experience with Flash, a 10-year-old Linne’s two-toed sloth, and the keeper who helped raise her from a tiny baby.
The prize draw comes ahead of International Sloth Day on Tuesday 20 October, with all proceeds going to the Sloth Conservation Foundation (SloCo), a charity dedicated to protecting wild sloths and their habitats.
Enter the prize draw here: Win a close encounter with Flash the sloth.
Meet Flash, the sloth who captured her keepers’ hearts
Flash has a remarkable story. She arrived at Drusillas Park in 2016 and sadly lost her mother shortly afterwards, leaving keepers with the challenging task of raising her by hand.
Head Keeper Gemma Romanis and Zoo Manager Mark Kenward took on round-the-clock care, feeding Flash every three hours throughout the night and creating special activity pens in their own homes to help her develop strength and coordination.
Now a healthy 10-year-old, Flash is thriving, and Gemma still remembers those early days with pride.
“It was tough, but we couldn’t have been happier with Flash’s progress and looking at her today still makes me proud of what we achieved,” Gemma said.
“This was the first sloth baby at the zoo, so it was a real learning curve. Sloths are nocturnal creatures, so we had to adapt and get up through the night with her, for around 11 months. It was exhausting but so rewarding and definitely one of the highlights of my career!”
To celebrate Flash’s 10th birthday, the zoo decided to combine the occasion with a fundraiser for wild sloths facing growing threats in their natural habitat.
What’s included in the prize?
The lucky winner will have the opportunity to spend time with Flash and Gemma, learning about Flash’s extraordinary journey and discovering more about these fascinating animals.
The experience includes the chance to hand-feed Flash and ask Gemma questions about sloth care and conservation. The prize also includes free entry to Drusillas Park for two people and a sloth cuddly toy to take home.
Sloth experiences at the zoo are popular, with waiting lists often stretching for months, making this a special opportunity for an animal lover.
Entries cost £5 each, and the prize draw closes on 31 October 2026.
Enter online: Win a Sloth Encounter and Help Save Wild Sloths.
Helping sloths stay safe in the wild
The fundraiser aims to raise £2,000 for SloCo, supporting conservation projects designed to make life safer for wild sloths in Costa Rica.
One important initiative is the installation of Sloth Crossing canopy bridges, which connect tree canopies and allow sloths to move safely between trees. Without these routes, the animals may have to descend to the ground, where their slow movements can leave them vulnerable, or risk climbing onto dangerous power lines.
Gemma witnessed the dangers facing wild sloths during a visit to Costa Rica in 2023. She saw the devastating effects of electrocution after a sloth mistook a live power line for a tree branch, suffering severe burns and wounds to its face and limbs. Another sloth had died on the same power line just weeks earlier.
The charity estimates that around 3,000 sloths are electrocuted every year in Costa Rica, highlighting the need for practical conservation measures.
Money raised could also help fund tree-planting projects and GPS tracking collars, which allow researchers to study wild sloths’ movements and behaviour. This information helps conservationists better understand populations, assess the effectiveness of their work and build evidence to support long-term protection.
Drusillas’ ongoing conservation work
The prize draw forms part of Drusillas Conservation in Action, the zoo’s charitable initiative supporting global biodiversity and helping visitors understand the threats facing wildlife.
Drusillas has already raised more than £13,000 for SloCo through previous fundraising activities. In 2023, members of the zoo’s team also travelled to Costa Rica to work alongside the charity, sharing their knowledge and expertise in the field.
Gemma hopes the latest campaign will build on that support while celebrating Flash and helping protect her wild cousins.
“We wanted to celebrate Flash’s 10th birthday while supporting Slothtober, SloCo’s month-long campaign to raise funds and awareness of the threats sloths face. A fundraising prize draw seemed like the perfect way to do both,” she explained.
Whether you’re a keen animal enthusiast or simply love a good wildlife story, entering the draw offers the chance to enjoy an unusual experience while contributing to a worthwhile conservation cause.
The prize draw closes on 31 October 2026. Entries cost £5 and are available through Crowdfunder. Find out more about the charity’s work at the Sloth Conservation Foundation.
