Baby Sloth Born at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo Syracuse, NY (October 6, 2010) – County Executive Joanne M. Mahoney joined the staff at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo earlier today to introduce Ruth, a 6-week-old Hoffman’s two-toed sloth.

After years of tremendous success with its sloth breeding program, the zoo took a 16 year hiatus. Ruth is the 43rd sloth born in Syracuse.“After sixteen years, it’s wonderful to once again welcome a baby sloth at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo,” said Mahoney. “I commend the animal staff for their excellent work in caring for the animals.”The baby – the offspring of Bad Eye and Beauregard – weighed 255 grams, about 60 percent of a normal newborn sloth.

Though zoo staff initially supplemented her diet with formula, she is now thriving under the care of her mother. Ruth and her mother are currently spending quiet time together, off exhibit in the nursery.Sloths are identified by the number of long, prominent claws that they have on each front foot. There are two-toed and three-toed sloths, both of which are built for life in the treetops. They spend nearly all of their time in the canopy, hanging from branches by their long claws. On the ground, sloths are very vulnerable.  Their weak hind legs provide no power and their long claws impede their mobility, making them easy targets for predators. Despite their inability to move freely on land, they are surprisingly good swimmers. Sloths are nocturnal and spend 15 to 20 hours sleeping. They are the world's slowest mammal; to move through the treetops, they slowly advance arm-over-arm, traveling 120 feet or less in an entire day, and seldom leaving the general area of their birth.After a gestation period of 11.5 months, the female gives birth to a single offspring while hanging upside down.  It is born with claws and clings to its mother’s belly for its first several weeks of life.  Weaning occurs at about four months of age, though a young sloth will remain with its mother for up to two years.Sloths are not on the endangered species list. However, their habitat is quickly being destroyed, leaving them homeless and vulnerable to a decrease in their population size. They are part of a Species Survival Plan (SSP) - a collaborative effort between the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and zoos around the world to help ensure their survival.