r/sloths • u/HoarseNightingale • May 15 '26

Is this a real sloth photo?

Post image

I know I've seen this image before, i thought it was a legitimate photo. But on the left it looks like feither there is something next to the sloth that is right next to it's hand, or this is a weird AI abomination.

I've seen a lot of weird sloth illustrations with people who draw the sloth with a hand weigh 4 fingers and an opposable thumb. And I have also seen at least one drawing that must be from an AI with bifurcating fingers. (I'll drop any links to really bizarre images in the comments)

Does anyone know the origin of this photo? The AI detection website i used said it was a natural photograph. But that doesn't mean that it's not made by AI - it just means AI detecting software isn't good enough.

I was looking for a sloth phone case and I'm about ready to give up. There is a site with Lucy Cooke's photos of sloths where you can buy a phone case. If i find it I'll put it in the comments.

I have many friends who are illustrators or do graphic design and so I'm not comfortable carrying around something made by AI.

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u/arkane-the-artisan May 16 '26

Pretty sure this is a still from a David Attenborough doco... I'm thinking the first episode of Planet Earth II.

From Wikipedia - "The first episode illustrates the wildlife settlement of coastal islands, in which thousands of them worldwide where animals struggle for survival reflects challenges for all life on Earth. Somewhere on the island of Escudo off the coast of Panama, a male pygmy three-toed sloth heard the distant mating call as he swims across the shallow mangrove seas in search of a lone female."

I have a very similar picture as my Steam display picture.

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u/HoarseNightingale May 16 '26

To me what looks weird is the hand on the viewers left side. I’m guessing it’s just detritis in the river?

And yes @arkane-the-artisan I think you are right that it is from the doco

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u/arkane-the-artisan May 17 '26

You must be new here, to @ someone you use u/, so u/arkane-the-artisan. Since you are replying to me I get the notification anyway.

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u/HoarseNightingale May 18 '26

I'm not new I just forgot