11 reasons why sloths are amazing right now.

Sloths are having a bit of a moment right now. And here are 11 awesome reasons why …

1. Kristen Bell loves them

So they must be good, because she’s my girl crush. Last year she revealed that she’s been obsessed with them for years, so her now-husband Dax Shepherd arranged for her to meet one for her 31st birthday and she totally lost the plot. “And I didn’t know how to process that, because my entire life had been waiting for this moment.”

Dax even captured the blubbery moment on video, which Kristen then shared on Ellen.

“I’ve been obsessed with sloths for as long as I can remember,” she explained. “They must be my spirit animal or something. There’s nothing cuter than a baby sloth.”

2. Awwww baby sloths …

Filmmaker Lucy Cooke celebrated her first book being released with a video of a bucket of baby sloths. Cooke’s book entitled A Little Book Of Sloth is a 64-page photographic picture book featuring photos, facts and stories about the sloths at the Sloth Sanctuary of Costa Rica. A Little Book of Sloth is available on Amazon. Watch it here:

3. And then there’s a baby sloth in a onesie (I know)

The Animal Planet documentary “Meet the Sloths” features a tiny baby sloth who loses his fur due to mange. Staff at the Avarios Sloth Sanctuary in Costa Rica race to dress him in a onesie so he’s warm enough to survive. Nawwwwww.

4. Not to mention sloths that cuddle cats

Presenting best friends Prince and Daisy …

5. They’re living dinosaurs (kind of)

Don’t you looooove dinosaurs? The sloths’ ancestor, the Megatherium, was as big as an elephants, with claws the size of your forearm. There’s a scary thought. Scary, huh? Fortunately, they were herbivores. (My second favourite dinosaurs are the giant wombats that once wandered Australia. Whoa, so cool! I’m weird like that.)

6. They’re the slowest creatures on earth

We could all learn something from them about chilling out more.

6. Which makes them a perfect T-shirt slogan for the 21st century

Here’s a sloth motto to live by, or at least own, available on Etsy for $21.30.

7. They also make … interesting … wall art

8. Someone’s even created a guide to finding your sloth name

Mine is Molasses the Majestic Saviour. Niiiiiice. What’s yours?

9. Ryan Gosling met one once

Need I say more? (OK, I’ll say more: that sloth is totally having a big O from being scratched by Ryan. As you would. Look at it’s face. Pure pleasure.)

10. Belt the Sloth was the surprise hit in The Croods

Despite the movie featuring the voices of everyone from Nicolas Cage to Emma Stone and Ryan Reynolds, Belt the Sloth was the surprise breakout star. The makers had no idea how popular he would be, so he wasn’t drawn with the ability to do very much … but he hasn’t let that stand in his way – he’s even ended up with his own fanpage on Facebook. Belt is a three-toed sloth who belongs to the romantic lead, Guy. He’s normally seen around Guy’s waist, used as a ‘Belt’ to keep his pants up.

11. I got to meet Belt! (So I’m a teensy bit biased)

When I found out I was flying to Los Angeles for the DVD launch of The Croods (don’t hate me!) the bit that got me most excited (even more excited than decorating my own pair of prehistoric footwear (which turned out to be a rather snappy pair of ugg boots that I bedazzled) was I thought I was going to meet an ACTUAL sloth, but I mis-read the PR details. What I got to meet was a human-sized version of Belt. But it was still pretty cool.

Do you love sloths? Have you met one? What is your sloth name?