WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — An adorable, furry baby Hoffman’s two-toed sloth made its debut at the Florida Zoo.
Keepers at the Palm Beach Zoo and Conservation Society have been monitoring the baby sloth and its mother, Wilbur, since they witnessed the birth early on the morning of January 23.
“This happened right before my eyes while we were under 24-hour surveillance,” said Kelly Fad, the zoo’s general curator who also witnessed the birth. “The dangling mother literally goes down and helps the baby climb onto her body. “She starts cleaning and the care started in just a couple of hours.”
Wilbur, who was the last sloth born at the Palm Beach Zoo 21 years ago, and his partner Dustin are part of a professional scientific breeding program called the Species Survival Plan. Manage the sloth population under human care, as their genetics may contribute to wild populations in the future, zoo officials said.
Fad says Wilbur and Dustin were matched in a way she likened to human dating apps.
Turns out they were a perfect match.
A baby sloth is seen with its mother at the Palm Beach Zoo Conservation Society, Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Florida. AP
“We work with other zoos. There is a guardian, a coordinator of the species survival plan so we can find the best genetic matches,” she said.
The goal is to “coordinate and work together so we can help conserve these guys and have the best possible genetics and diversity in managed care.”
Male sloths play no role in raising babies, so Dustin remains in his original habitat at the zoo.
Zookeepers have been monitoring the baby sloth and its mother, Wilbur, since they witnessed the birth. AP
Zoo officials are waiting to identify the sex of the baby sloth before deciding on a name.
“It’s often a little difficult to determine the gender,” Fad said. “The mother’s name is Wilbur, which is normally more of a male name. And that’s because it’s not always easy to know. So we like to give it a few weeks and be able to know for sure what the gender is before we start the naming process.”
But now the public can visit the baby sloth.
“We are excited for guests to witness the development of this unique little baby,” said Renee Bumpus, director of animal conservation. “Meanwhile, Wilbur is very attentive and the baby will remain very attached to his mother for a while.”
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