ANIMALS
Florida’s Brevard Zoo Announces Birth Of Baby Two-Toed Sloth
Brevard Zoo
The Brevard Zoo in Melbourne, Fla., has announced the birth of a Linne’s two-toed sloth earlier this month, but it will be hard for guests to spot the tiny newborn for quite a few months.
The baby sloth was born on March 14 to experienced mother Sammy, an 18-year-old who previously delivered three other babies, the zoo said.
“The baby sleeps most of the time but will sometimes open their eyes to look around. Then, its right back to napping or nursing,” said Assistant Curator of Animals, Sidnee Santana-Mellor.
The baby will cling to Sammy for between six months and a year, but will begin letting go to explore a bit after a couple of months. Because the baby is still staying so close to mom, the zoo’s veterinary staff won’t perform exams anytime soon, and still don’t know its sex.
Within hours of giving birth, Sammy and her baby were back out in the habitat, and she was taking snacks from caretakers between naps. Sammy shares a habitat with saki monkeys Yuki and Chuki, but she has access to a private area for when she wants to be alone with the baby. So far, Yuki and Chuki haven’t shown too much interest in the new addition to their habitat, the zoo said.
Although the baby can be hard to spot while nestled in Sammy’s fur, guests can see the pair in the Rainforest Revealed habitat.
TMX contributed to this article.
