Decline of the brown-throated sloth (Bradypus variegatus Schinz, 1825) in an Atlantic Forest protected area

Estimates on demographic parameters altogether with social factors are integral and can be very useful to assess the risks that a population may face in the future. Rescue operations may provide a unique opportunity to gather data on individuals of an area and thus provide population information. Animal rescue data provided by the Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden fauna team were used to understand the structure of a population of Bradypus variegatus in an urban remnant of the Atlantic Forest (Tijuca National Park, PNT). This study aims to provide data on the abundance, density estimation, sex ratio, and occurrence of this population in the PNT. We rescued 44 sloths, four of whom were dead. The population density was estimated at 0.6 ind / ha, a low-density value compared to other urban remnants (8.5 to 12.5 ind / ha). Our model suggests a unstable and in decline population, which could be a delayed reflection of years of deforestation in the Atlantic forest. Although B. variegatus isn't, yet, considered threatened due to their broad distribution, they can be locally extirpated due to population unfeasibility in forest remnants of Atlantic Forest regions, suggesting we should evaluate its threat levels at population level.