BELLINGHAM — After practically two months of backwards and forwards, the Washington State Division of Transportation says it should permit an enormous stuffed sloth to stay perched in a tree above Interstate 5, simply south of Bellingham. The primary sloth, which turned a neighborhood landmark after showing in 2024, was taken down by WSDOT in mid-March of 2025. It was shortly changed, however that new sloth was taken down by WSDOT, too.
Lastly, after a 3rd sloth was seen perched even greater within the timber, WSDOT mentioned it could permit the stuffed animal to stay in the intervening time.
Why did WSDOT take down the Bellingham sloth?
So why did WSDOT go to such lengths to take away the sloth within the first place, and why did it change its stance?
The company reported that it initially eliminated the sloth as a result of issues that it distracted drivers.
“There’s a reason an 8-foot sloth hanging from a tree became so popular: It draws a lot of attention. And when you’re driving on the highway, that’s not a good thing. We’ve heard that drivers were slowing down to get a closer look or driving distracted to try to snap a picture,” the division mentioned in a Fb put up.
Did Bellingham sloth truly trigger I-5 automotive crashes?
However was the sloth actually inflicting issues for drivers? Or was WSDOT simply nervous that the distraction may turn into harmful?
The division maintains a automotive crash knowledge dashboard that tracks recognized automotive accidents throughout the state. The sloth is positioned off the northbound aspect of I-5, alongside of Lake Samish. Between the southern finish of Lake Samish and the purpose at which the lake curves away from the freeway, WSDOT recorded six crashes in 2024. Nevertheless, solely a kind of was reported to be attributable to a distracted driver.
Throughout the identical interval, there have been an extra three crashes reported on the northbound aspect of I-5 simply south of the lake and one simply off the freeway. None of these have been attributable to a distracted driver.
The southbound aspect of that stretch of I-5, from which the sloth isn’t seen, noticed 4 crashes in 2024 and one in 2025.
In accordance with WSDOT spokesperson RB McKeon, WSDOT hadn’t seen extra crashes than normal within the space across the sloth, however took it down as a proactive step after employees noticed drivers slowing all the way down to get a view of the sloth.
The sloth differs from one thing like a billboard, which can also be designed to seize the eye of drivers, as a result of it isn’t topic to state legal guidelines regulating how attention-grabbing it may be, McKeon mentioned.
“While I appreciate that distraction may be subjective, there are rules and regulations that govern billboards… It is worth noting that many of the signs your readers have flagged as being distractions are signs on private property, which WSDOT does not have jurisdiction over, whereas the sloths are located on our right-of-way, where we do have jurisdiction and can take measures to reduce risk,” McKeon mentioned.
McKeon added that probably the most distracting indicators and billboards are normally on non-public property, so WSDOT has no jurisdiction over them. WSDOT does have jurisdiction over the land the place the sloth stood.
Different I-5 security issues
Moreover, WSDOT officers have been involved that the sloth may fall from its perch and onto the freeway, particularly throughout stretches of wind or rain.
“The initial sloth had been there for several months, had been exposed to inclement weather and WSDOT did not have any way of knowing how it was secured to the tree. We do not want objects like this to come down in the travel lanes.”
In accordance with McKeon, WSDOT has the identical issues in regards to the third sloth. Nevertheless it’s in a location that’s far more troublesome for crews to achieve.
“When a third sloth appeared in a different location we assessed the situation. While we share similar concerns about its presence, removing it would require a full highway closure and specialized equipment, and with that we would incur significantly higher costs and safety concerns for our crews compared to previous removals,” McKeon mentioned. “Given limited resources and competing safety priorities, we are continuing to monitor the situation but do not currently plan to take further action.”
