The oso perezoso, which translates to lazy bear, was found by transit police and it appeared to be frightened as it clung to a barrier along the highway.

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The Ecuador Highway Commission shared photos of the encounter on its Facebook page.

In a comment under the post, the department was able to get the sloth examined by a veterinarian and it was determined to be well enough to be released back into the wild.

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Members of the conversion crew take a break as the main scoreboard is lowered to the floor to be worked on as the arena gets ready for the next concert at State Farm Arena, Thursday, October 2, 2025, in Atlanta. The crew was working on creating a stage for the Friday, Oct. 3 Maxwell concert. (Jason Getz/AJC)

Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com