Ziplining is typically a smooth ride above the forest floor, free from any interruption.
But what happens when those zipline wires create a veritable highway for one of the slowest-moving creatures on the planet?
A young boy and his zipline guide found out recently, when their gliding adventure came to an abrupt halt due to a sloth lazily hanging off one of the wires.
The boy, who has not been named, was zooming through the forest canopy with a guide on the slopes of the Arenal Volcano at Go Adventure Arenal Park in Costa Rica.
“I just clocked it straight in the face,” the boy announces to his guide, a big smile on his face, in the undated video.
Fortunately, the sloth and the child appear unharmed but the mammal can be seen raising one hand and curling it. According to the Sloth Conservation Foundation, sloths raise their hands in a curl or make a “waving” gesture to exhibit stress.
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It’s unclear how the sloth climbed over to the wire and directly into the path of the oncoming adventurers, but park owner Flavio Leiton Ramos told The Daily Mail it happened quite quickly.
“So seven people went on that cable and there was no sloth on it, and within 30 seconds a sloth got on the cable,” he told the publication.
“The good thing was that the child was doing a great job by using the brake, and also since the tour guide was with him, was able to handle the situation.”
Ramos said it took the slow-moving sloth about 15 minutes to vacate the wire and allow the zipliners to finish their expedition.
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