Zoo Atlanta in Georgia celebrated the birth of a Hoffman’s two-toed sloth earlier this month.
The baby sloth, whose name has not yet been released, was born on August 9 to mother Nutella, 7, and father Cocoa, 31, Zoo Atlanta announced in a press release on August 14.
This is Nutella’s second baby; the zoo said her first, a female named Olivia, was born in June 2023.
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“We are incredibly excited about the birth of baby Nutella,” said Gina Ferry, Zoo Atlanta’s vice president of collections and conservation.
“Sloths have many fascinating adaptations and behaviors that we can share with our members and guests,” she said.
A baby Hoffmann’s two-toed sloth was born at Zoo Atlanta this month, and the zoo said it was “delighted” by the birth. (Zoo Atlanta/TMX)
Sloths have a gestation period of around 11 months to a year, which the zoo says is “unusually long in the animal kingdom.”
The zoo added that these pregnancies are “not easily confirmed”, building hopes for the birth of new sloth babies.
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Although sloths have a very long gestation period, “baby sloths develop at a significantly faster rate than most other mammalian babies,” Zoo Atlanta said.
Baby sloths are “born completely covered in fur, with their eyes open, teeth already in place, and fully developed claws that allow them to cling to their mother.”
According to Zoo Atlanta, the sloths are born with their eyes open and “fully furred.” (Zoo Atlanta/TMX)
While Hoffman’s two-toed sloths are “not currently listed as endangered,” Ferry said, “a new conservation story is emerging that helps us understand the impacts of human activities on wildlife and ecosystems.”
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Hoffmann’s two-toed sloths are native to Central and South America and are “increasingly threatened in the wild” due to illegal logging and other human activities, according to Zoo Atlanta.
Hoffman’s two-toed sloth is native to South and Central America. (Getty Images)
“Hundreds of sloths are electrocuted each year while attempting to navigate power lines through dispersed forest areas,” Zoo Atlanta said.
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Zoo Atlanta works with the Sloth Conservation Project, a Costa Rica-based organization that rescues, rehabilitates and releases sloths back into the wild.
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Nutella and her new offspring can be seen at Summer Sloth Habitat.
