CUTE: Zoo Atlanta celebrates birth of two-toed sloth
ATLANTA (Gray News) – Zoo Atlanta is celebrating the addition of a new member of its sloth family.
In a release, the Georgia zoo said its 7-year-old Huffman’s two-toed sloth, Nutella, gave birth to an infant on Aug. 9, 2024.
The baby is Nutella’s second offspring with 31-year-old male sloth Cocoa. The sloth pair’s firstborn, Olivia, was born on Father’s Day 2023.
According to the zoo, the gestation period for sloths is unusually long compared to most animals at 11 to 12 months. However, pregnancies are not easily confirmed.
Although sloths are known for being slow, the zoo said infants usually develop at a more rapid pace than the infants of other mammals.
Sloths are born fully furred and with their eyes open and teeth present. They also already have fully formed claws to cling to their mothers.
Gina Ferrie, PhD, the vice president of Collections and Conservation, said the zoo is very excited for Nutella’s birth.
“Sloths have so many fascinating adaptations and behaviors that we can share with our Members and guests, and while they are not currently classified as endangered, they have an emerging conservation story that can help us appreciate the impact of human activities on wild animals and ecosystems,” she said.
Hoffman’s two-toed sloths are facing an increase in threats to their existence in the wild, the zoo said. The animals, which are native to Central and South America, are facing challenges which include habitat loss due to illegal logging. Hundreds of sloths are also being electrocuted each year as they try to use power lines to travel through fragmented forest patches.
Zoo Atlanta’s Conservation Fund supports the Sloth Conservation Project, which helps the sloth populations by rescuing, rehabilitating, and releasing wild sloths that have been impacted by these existential challenges.
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