Hey, Buddy. Can you lend me a claw?!?

We were heading home while after spending the day in field service and saw this poor guy trying to cross the road. He was moving so slowly that we were sure he would've ended up as "road kill." So I parked in front of him while directing traffic around him (or her - never did ask). The 3 claws on each hand are razor sharp and powerful. (Click on the photo to see a larger view) And, yes, those are some sort of insect that he was infested with. They were crawing in and out of his coarse hair. Maybe he was trying to escape them. Poor thing!

I found a large stick on the side of the road, put in under his claw and he immediately latched on for the ride to the nearby forest. One there, he began his climb.

Sloths (there are 3 toed and 2 toed varieties) only come down out of the trees about twice a week to care for "personal business". I don't know what this one had in mind, but he was a little lost. They are amazing creatures! Watching them move is like watching a movie in slow motion.