Ruhmember that epic SNL sketch of Harry Shearer and Martin Short as Synchronized swimmers?
This SWIMMING SLOTH should join their team.
"No you’re not mad, you’re just pointing. Hey, you, Iknowyou, I knowyou!!!" Katherine P.
“Ib not that strongg a swimmber”
Previous post: How do I get to CuteOverload again?
Next post: This is soooo Daily Puppy of us
{ 93 comments }
Video is no longer available
[nah, it still works... maybe try it directly from YouTube - Ed.]
BLEEN!!!
I had no idea that sloths could swim…which just goes to show how edumacational this site is.
hmmm wonder if that was in Panama?
What a cute E.T.
So slow, yet so adorable! (Or is it anerable? I haven’t seen that word here for a while.)
that dog is all “baarroooooo?!”
It doesnt’ look like a swimming sloth, it looks like a deflated, shaggy pinata with arms…
One of THE best SNL sketches ever! One that my sister and I randomly recite word for word. For no reason. “Men’s syncro isn’t even in the ‘88 Olympics…YET.”
It seems like the woman in the video was right–the sloth was swimming to get to more food. That is its best way of moving at ground level, i.e. when it can’t go tree to tree to get more food. I am sure she didn’t harm it if she took it in the direction it was already going–sloths are solitary animals. And think about the next boat to come along–I’m sure less lucky sloths get hit by boats. : (
He he he, it’s amazing how the mind works. First I was like, “Oh wow, a sloth swimming!” and then I was like, “Oh no, he’s not getting anywhere! He’ll get tired and drown!” Then you see the woman holding him and I thought, “OhmyGod, what is she doing holding a wild animal like that?!” but she put the sloth in the tree, so my brain calmed down quite a bit. I do hope the sloth started out on that side, though
I’d be way too terrified of being on the receiving end of that sloth’s nails to pluck him out of the water. Mebbe he was too tired to fight. Thankyew, nice lady.
They probbly watched him a good while and realized he wasn’t getting anywhere. Do sloths normally swim? Or did he fall out of his tree? Sooo many questions!
Kudos, Meg, on another great SNL reference.
I love the dripping! Poor, tired little guy/gal.
Anything is possible, but I think this turned out ok. At worst it was placed in a small tree close to the mainland so if it wanted to continue swimming it’d have done so afterwards. It may have simply fallen out of a tree and been washed away with the current. When you think of the handling done with wild animals, if otherwise by veterinarians with tranquilizers, I doubt this had much of any effect. It at least gave the sloth some rest from its paddling lessons!
Apparently sloths are good swimmers. But really who knows what is going on in this situation? The sloth looks tewtally anerable and I also would have had the urge to help/rescue it. I hope it was the right thing to do because it seems rare when a person wants to help instead of hurt and animal.
Omg, I haven’t even watched the video because I am TOO much in my own head about the SNL sketch which is PROBABLY the best SNL bit EVER. Yes, EVER.
“You, you…I know you, I know you!!!”
Will comment on sloth swimmy vid later. Right now, just basking in the genius of Messrs. Shearer, Guest and Short….
Sloths are good swimmers, so I’m going to guess that he wasn’t in any danger. At least she put him in a tree and not on the ground — they pretty much just drag themselves around because they can’t walk.
Sloth thinking to himself:
“Dang, so much for getting to Edith’s tonight, and then I end up right were I started.” sigh “Og well, maybe next year.”
[Channeling The Goons...]
I’m swimming backwards to Christmas…
I’m sure even a highly trained and professionally licensed slothologist would have left that poor animal just as it was. Never mess with a wild animal, especially if it’s hanging in its own habitat. Mr. Sloth knows better what’s good for himself than Miss Entitled Boat Lady! Save the world to death already (how rude!)
Yeah, sloths are very good swimmers. He may not have LOOKED like he was getting anywhere, but I can almost guarantee you he was. Plus, anyone/any animal can swim for a LONG time, and there have been a lot of studies on this. It’s not a very well known thing that sloths can swim, I’m just lucky to have a Biology Professor as a dad, and as such he does more Behavioral Bio. than anything (so he studies animals lots).
Eh, yeah, good she put him in a tree in interrupting his progress than anywhere else =) Very cute!
That is soo cool that it appears they took him the direction he was swimming and helped him up into a tree with a lot of nice green leaves on it.
Great help to the poor wet sloth.
Alice Shortcake: “edumacational!” LOL.
Silly sloth swims faster than he climbs. Who knew they could even swim at all.
Love it.
And I’m glad the nice lady helped him out. Looked like he had a long way to go!
I love the way he just hangs there when she picks him up. It’s like he’s thinking: “Uh…I’m hanging here now…dum dee dum…oh…now I’m in a tree…climbin’ in a tree…dum dee dum…”
Well I’m glad they helped the sloth out even if it didn’t need it!
Who would’ve thunk that sloths were swimmers? o_O
Oh and I love the way it looks back at the woman after she picks it up…
like a slow
“Woman! Unhand me!” lol
Too cute…
Also funny that it looks like a toupee in the water
I saw this video on youtube.com about a month ago and I thought it was in sane that the lady took it upon herself to pickt he sloth up out of the water. Sloths are amazing swimmers and even if they weren’t, don’t mess with animals in the wild. You never know what might happen. Ok, I’ll get off my soap box now.
After watching several slothy videos, I really think they’re cute, charming animals!
Yay, my first CuteOverload submission!!! I think my favorite part has to be when the woman picks him up, he continues paddling in the air for a second and then slowly turns to her with a totally disdainful “‘Scuse me, WTF r u doin?’” expression. Then the little claws latch onto the tree … “Annnghh.”
you know – there is something about Sloths that make me deeply sad.
Why is that?
Am I the only one who gets that way?
*frowns*
Has no one learned the Prime Directive?
Sloths rock my world. I am untroubled by passing boaters assisting them. The sloth clearly didn’t mind.
She should have left the poor thing alone. I hate when people think they’re “saving” an animal. Gee….what did the world DO without humans for MILLIONS of years….sheesh.
We got to see a sloth real close up several years ago in South America and my guess is that he was taking a swim b/c when they are dry they got a bgillion bugs on their skin and in their fur…as you can tell they are not really quick enough on their own to pick em out…that swim was probably paradise for his/her itchy skin!
Cute! Did anyone else think the sloth looked like a muppet floating in the water at first? (Fozzie, no!!) What would’ve been a really cute video would be if the dog were poking the sloth in the water.
I love sloths! All that swimming probably burned a lot more energy than McSlothersons there is used to. I think he appreciated the hand, even if he had a look of “WHAT…are you doing to me…Oh hey, a tree.” Haha.
tha’ was a woman? I thought bono put her in the tree…duh
Don’t you just love it when people think they “helped” an animal…. and then are proud of it?
Carrie — Me too! I think their incredible slowitude makes them seem kinda melancholy and a bewildered, like Eeyore. And they have such cute faces, looking for all the world like they’re smiling wistfully at some old memory. *sniffle!*
My favorite part of the skit was always, “I’m not that strong a swimmer.”
I’m so glad you brought it up.
Didn’t look so much like swimming as it did floating while ever so slowly moving his arms and legs to little of no effect. Sloths are good swimmers… I’m not sure about that. Good floaters… definitely!
1. From what I heard on the video the sloth had turned and was heading out to sea instead of to shore, which is why she helped him out and she wasn’t just randomly picking him up.
2. LOVED the utterly anerable confused look the sloth got when he got picked up.
3. Sloths do an amazing breast stroke. My old swimming teacher would have approved.
Love it! Whether or not she was right to pick up the sloth, I went through the exact same thought process – aw, sloth swimming! man, he’s moving fast for a sloth! he must be tired! golly, someone should help him! aw, a tree!!
I find it infuriating how many people use the CO comments to constantly mention animal cruelty. Is there a quota we have to meet for every post?
I think the woman was right in helping out the sloth. Regardless of whether or not he had a goal, he was in danger of other boats hitting him.
Sloth was adorable, as sloths tend to be.
Tony James – another Goons fan! Howdy!
I loff the sweemy sloth.
I loved his “sweeming, sweeming, swee– heyyyy, what the –” expression when she picked him up.
But what I don’t get is why she “rescued” him *after* she noted that he was, in fact, a pretty good swimmer.
I wouldn’t have picked him up. I’ve worked in animal rescue and an animal hospital before. I’ve experienced first hand very cute, quiet animals freaking straight out and messing people up.
LisaL, I <3 your post.
Kar, I thought the Prime Directive was to “go forth and multiply…”
I was going to say something. I forgot what it was.
Oh – ok -
I saved a big nasty snapping turtle that was crossing the road one day – a very busy hiway – he was in the middle of a lane, and he was going to cause a bad accident or get squished – so I took him in the direction he was heading – I figure he just got there faster and safer, and he never made one motion to hurt me either.
If they were sure this was the direction the sloth was headed – hey – they did a good deed imho.
E.T. phone home!
Carrie, my dad and I came upon a snapping turtle who’d been flipped on his back. We had to use a big long stick to gently flip him over…he wanted nothing to do with us! When we flipped him back on his feet, though, he lumbered back down to the river…hopefully happier…lol.
OMG sloths never fail to amaze me. This one paddles in the water faster than it climbs trees! He doesn’t look all that strong a swimmer, though – it’s obvious he moving *with* the current than against it – he was not able to swim *against it. The current was too strong for him.
And Carrie – you’re right, they always have such mournful, confused looks that it makes them look sad! But they also have the most adorable smiles.
Lady talking to her doggy: Was dat? Was Dat?
I love how people always ask their human or animal bebbehs that question, it’s so cute.
meg, this is just one of the many reasons i adore you — the pop culture references. i thought i was the only one who remembered such things in such detail… (hey, you, i know you!)
Thanks lady, i was going the other way. Sheesh!
Ok, I’ve mixed feelings about this video.
First, I agree the lady shouldn’t have interferred with nature by taking Mr. McSlothersons ashore, though I also believ it’s not that grave an intervention, in this case.
But this being the first time I see a sloth on video, i.e. moving, my urbanite self gets so exasperated at the poor thing’s lentitude, I sort of understand the urge to help the little guy to GET GOING.
That said, Sloths are anerable.
Am I the only person that wanted to see more the beagle on the boat? She looked just like my (recently deceased) Daisy-Doodle! *wah!*
Eeeeew. Sorry.
swimming sloth=not cute.
Dripping, dangling feetsters-love love LOVE the sloth!
My favorite part?
If you watch carefully, you’ll see that when the lady starts the cutie talk, the sloth makes a 90 degree turn and heads AWAY from her…albeit slowly.
Absolutely hilarious.
That and the part where she lifts the sloth, and it slowly looks down…then slowly looks back at the lady.
Sloth Think: “just keep swimming…just keep swim- uh oh…swim away from the funny noise…swim away from the funny noise…aaaaand now I’m levitating….aaaand now I’m floating….the hell?”
Hi. My name is Ignorant. SLOTHS SWIM!!! Geeze lady…look it up or watch animal planet
omg…. SID’S SQUIDS.
OMG — I just watched that SNL video two days ago — it’s my absolute favorite!!! And yay to the slothie savior!! I am soooo happy right now. Must watch eight more times.
Professional zoo keepers know to never touch a sloth. Those things will mess you up if they get a hold of you. They’re incredibly strong and can break bones and rip flesh with their claws. Not too bright.
OMG, I have watched this like 10 times now. I never thought sloths were cute, but this one so is. I love how he peeks his head up when she talks to him the first time!!! Nothing beats the “why am I floating face” though.
:D
Anyone else notice the doggy at the end almost going in the water to smell the little guy?? hehehe. Doggy woops moment.
But the lady annoys me.
my favorite part is when she says ‘yaaay!’ after putting sloth in tree.
if sloths are as dangerous as some folks on here say then perhaps he needed saving ’cause he looked pretty docile when she picked him up.
since we missed the middle part we don’t really know the whole story….so let’s play nice.
You know BLEEN means pancake in Russian?
Um, hellooo??? I tewtally knew that sloths could swim! I learned it in the episode of “Go, Diego, Go!” where Diego and Sammy the Sloth saved Mommy Sloth and Baby Sloth from the muddy mudslide. You know. . .Diego? Dora’s cool older cousin? The animal rescuer? Ah, man. . .aren’t there any other moms with little kids out there?????
To the person who said “Hi. My name is Ignorant. SLOTHS SWIM!!! Geeze lady…look it up or watch animal planet” … UM, she was on a BOAT, I’m pretty sure she wouldn’t have any wireless service there. You want her to go home, look it up, and then boat back to where ever she was?
Oh for goodness sake – the sloth is obviously fine!!! As Bob mentions: “Those things will mess you up if they get a hold of you. They’re incredibly strong and can break bones and rip flesh with their claws.” Maybe Bob’s trying to make the point that you shouldn’t pick them up, but to me, that just assures me that the lady picking him up was not doing this sloth ANY harm whatsoever. If he’s not struggling, he can’t be too concerned. Too cute!!!
Are sloths really that dangerous? I seem to recall that at least one major zoo in South America just has them hanging out cageless. I remember this because I made a joke about how easy they’d be to catch if they escaped.
MLO may I charge you for the hospital bill I will have after having to have dry old oyster crackers dug out of my lungs and sinus cavities?
When I see a snail in the middle of a sidewalk, I pick it up, and put it in a bush, or somewhere out of the way. Clearly, I must rethink my actions from now on.
As much as I am in a big believer in letting wild animals be (even if they are in danger), I don’t think this kind lady did any harm. For all the comments about sloths being strong swimmers, he didn’t look like he was getting anywhere to me!
Also, I have never heard of sloths being dangerous except for the extinct giant man-eating sloth.
One last thing, the more you know about sloths, the less cute they are. One of their main defenses in the wild is that because of all the disgusting stuff that grows in their fur they are considered, by most predators, too nasty to eat Ew!
Sloths are the bestest. They have Eeyore faces, with tiny sad eyes and mournful makeup lines around their eyes. It’s so sad. But so cute! And soggy sloths are the best.
I think every intrepid explorer knows that sometimes, you have break the Prime Directive. And people are right–this sloth could have gotten hit by boats. What with all the changes going on in most of the countries where sloths live, sometimes we have to pitch in and help, because really, we’re the ones who screwed it up in the first place.
He was a cutie.
Just curious, for those advocating leaving the animal alone, would you feel the same if it was a widdle cuddly ocelot kitten struggling in the water? Yes, animals should generally be left alone, but it’s not like the lady was taking it anywhere. She was just doing what she thought was compassionate.
Poor slothy was swimming too slowly to go anywhere – the current was taking it in the direction opposite of where it wanted to go.
My favorite part is at the beginning where she says, “It is alive!” haha. Sloths! They kill me!
SID!!!!!!! <3
I bet if the video showed her just letting the sloth struggle along in the water, there’d be a ton of posts going “awww, why didn’t she help the poor little sloth? How could she just leave him like that to struggle all on his own?” You can’t win for trying, sometimes.
Everybody chill out! I’m pretty sure sloths aren’t actually dangerous, as they have poor muscle tone from just hanging around, and as far as I know their claws aren’t used for self-defense, only climbing. Their best defense is being so slow their predators can’t see them! If the sloth really wanted to be in the water, he could climb down from the tree again, but if he had fallen in by accident and actually was struggling against the current, then the lady did him a favor. It’s not like helping one aqua-sloth is going to upset the whole balance of nature, people!!!
OMG thank you for more Slothage!! I love me some sloths
Although you have to admit that in the beginning, he looks like a big flat beige bathmat with some arms, legs and leetle head sticking out! The little sloth that could!
I love how the sloth is all, like: “Yes, very nice, now please go away” as it heads in the opposite direction.
Some people just can’t take a hint!
I see so much hate for the poor lady who just wanted to help a drifting sloth.
Can you really say that the outcome was for the worst?
Since I see the sloth happily (and slowly) climbing his new tree and not returnig to water, I would say it was not.
Why people, why????
Love to you.
At the start of this video, I couldn’t find the sloth! I was like “Okay, I see the ugly rug, but where is the…wait…the rugs moving?! OH!” I think having sound would have helped…
That looked like Panama – I used to live there for 5 years and would have sloths hanging on the community swingsets all the time and in our backyard trees. They’re very docile. They would stop traffic for an hour or more when crossing the roads – people were very respectful toward them.
OMG! SLOTHS CAN SWIM! Leave wild animals alone next time. Just because they are animals they are not stupid. Do you think if it was dangerous for the sloth to be swimming he would even gone in the water? Like come on people! Do we humans jump in fire because we are curious? Cute video but seriously….SLOTHS CAN SWIM!
************************
MLO may I charge you for the hospital bill I will have after having to have dry old oyster crackers dug out of my lungs and sinus cavities?
************************
You can try. Doesn’t mean I’ll pay it
(I favorited this video a while ago…I’ve had plenty of time to think about what is going through the sloth’s head.)
Looked like Tiffany Pollard.
I once put a fish back in the water after it had beached itself. My mother told me that nature may have intended for it to stay there and I argued “I’m nature, too.”
YOU SHOULDN’T TOUCH WILD ANIMALS. A sloth doesn’t exist for the sole purpose of being cute for that woman. My god, the presumption.
I went to Costa Rica a couple of years ago and I know for a fact that sloths swim. Very well and very quickly if they want to.
I don’t see any harm in what the lady’s doing; if the sloth would have objected, I think you would have noticed. I think the sloth was just swimmin’and enjoying the water. ^-^ Love the vid!
anni:
That must have been so cool to see the sloths on the playsets. Did they nap in the swings?
Here is a video for all the sloth fans. This one has no trees around and instinctivey grabs a branch, hiarity ensues, esp. in the look of the sloth’s face… http://youtube.com/watch?v=VzF9XS3ZItE
Here is a video for all the sloth fans. This one has no trees around and instinctivey grabs a branch, hiarity ensues, esp. in the look of the sloth’s face… http://youtube.com/watch?v=VzF9XS3ZItE
Comments on this entry are closed.