Animal World & Snake Farm Zoo is thrilled to announce the birth of a Linnaeus’s two-toed sloth. The baby was born to Sid and Sylvia, the Zoo’s adult pair, on November 17th.

The birth was an unexpected surprise for animal care staff members. Due to the sedentary lifestyle of the sloth— who famously sleeps up to 18 hours a day— along with their thick, wiry fur, it is exceedingly difficult to see outward signs of pregnancy. However, this birth illustrates a massive success in providing the right environment for healthy life in captivity while encouraging natural reproductive behavior.

Though the captive breeding of sloths is not considered rare, successful reproduction it is not as common as hoped for. While sloths live in captivity across the world, many facilities are unsuccessful in enticing reproduction.

The success of Animal World & Snake Farm Zoo’s sloth breeding program demonstrates the utmost dedication and quality animal care, a superb understanding of the unique species, and the passion of conservation for all animal species.

Baby sloths will nurse for about one month before beginning to sample solid foods. After weaning entirely from the mother’s milk, they will stay tightly wrapped against the mother from six months up to two years.

At Animal World & Snake Farm Zoo, animal care staff members are closely monitoring the health of the newborn sloth. Weights are taken of the baby on a daily basis to ensure it is gaining weight and eating healthily. So far, Sylvia is a great parent and has fully embraced motherhood.

Eventually, the young sloth will become an animal ambassador for its species at Animal World & Snake Farm Zoo. Animal care staff will work closely to raise the little sloth for educational purposes as well as a strong part of future breeding programs for this amazing animal.

Animal World & Snake Farm Zoo will be announcing a naming contest for the baby sloth on their Facebook page. The contest opens on December 1st.

Media inquiries may be directed to Hannah Mulligan, Communications Director at hannahm@hczoo.com

It is Animal World & Snake Farm Zoo’s mission to protect biodiversity, promote animal welfare, encourage sustainable living practices and empower communities to care about the world in which we inhabit.

Our vision is to become a leader in the use of education and conservation to help create a diverse, thriving and sustainable natural world.