Abstract Drones (unmanned aerial vehicles, UAVs), are an advanced technology that allows the collection of large amounts of data in a short amount of time, including the detection of cryptic and arboreal animals. Here, we report the first records of the southern maned sloth Bradypus crinitus obtained with thermal cameras from a drone. As far as we know, this is the first time a sloth has been observed by a drone. We recorded four individuals of B. crinitus in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, plus first records of Procyon cancrivorus, which were all resting in the forest canopy. The individuals’ thermal responses demonstrate that the use of drones for research on these species may be a viable option to study still unexplored aspects of their ecology or conservation.