We're excited for St Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park’s baby sloth's first wellness exam with Dr. Garrett Fraess from the University of Florida Veterinary Teaching Hospital. This little one has been hitting all the developmental milestones and is thriving with momma Grizzly.

The sad part is that many baby sloths are being captured and kidnapped from their moms in the wild, who are likely killed themselves, for the pet trade. Baby sloths are complicated to care for and do not thrive without the right care from their moms and the appropriate diet.

Grizzly and Teddy, St. Augustine Alligator Farm’s resident Hoffmann’s two-toed sloths, have proved once again that age is just a number.  On the morning of February 8th, 2022, they welcomed their fourth offspring.  At 37, Grizzly is one of the oldest sloths to give birth and 47-year-old-male Teddy is one of the oldest sloths ever recorded.  While talking about the surprise of the sloths having a baby at their age; David Drysdale, St. Augustine Alligator Farm’s owner, reflected that they have made their home in St. Augustine which is also home to the Fountain of Youth.  

Drusillas Zoo Park are ecstatic to announce the safe and healthy arrival of a beautiful baby sloth – who’s surprise arrival has delighted their team of keepers.

On the morning of 29th November, keepers couldn’t believe their eyes when resident sloth female, Halina, wondered down from her bed to say good morning and had a new addition tenderly clinging to her.

ZSL London Zoo has shared the first pictures and footage of its newest adorable arrival: a baby two-toed sloth, who surprised keepers with a speedy morning birth on Sunday 24 October.  

Knowing mum Marilyn - who had delivered all six of her previous babies at night - was due any day, zookeepers arrived early to check on the pregnant sloth, who they found snuggled up peacefully in her den, with no baby in sight.  

There are three of the Schönbrunn sloths again. Alberta and Einstein became parents on June 3rd. For the first six months the young animal lies somewhat hidden in its mother's soft peritoneum. In the meantime, however, it has grown a lot and is easy to see. “The news of the offspring is sure to please the many sloth fans. Unfortunately, the last young animal, Pauline, was never seen by our visitors due to the corona protective measures. In the meantime, Pauline has moved to Loro Parque as part of the European Stud Book and hangs out there comfortably, ”says zoo director Stephan Hering-Hagenbeck. The zoo keeper team can only see whether the current offspring is a female or a male when they are no longer so closely attached to their mother.

Two-toed sloths are native to South America. With their comfortable way of life and a nose like a socket, they are among the visitors' favorites in Schönbrunn. If you can't make it to the zoo, you can admire the sloths in the new Family Planner 2022, which was published for the first time. Family life can be organized very well with five columns for personal entries. Sloth father Einstein would only have three things in the crevices: eat, doze and hang around. Alberta's undisturbed sloth existence is now history. District manager Petra Stefan: “Alberta takes care of its eleventh youngster. It is suckled for half a year. But it can also be carried to the food bowl on her stomach and nibbles on vegetables such as celery and lettuce. "

This is the first sloth born at BPZOO in its 127-year history.

New Bedford, Massachusetts: They say the best things come to those who wait – and after waiting approximately 11.5 months, there is a baby sloth at BPZOO! Born on June 22, 2021 to first time parents, 12-year-old female Sandy and 20-year-old male, Bernardo, this Hoffman’s two-toed sloth baby is the first to ever be born at BPZOO in its 127-year history.   

A Linnaeus’s two-toed sloth born at Brevard Zoo on May 12 is receiving specialized attention from animal care staff after the baby’s mother, Tango, was not interested in looking after the little one, and attempts to reunite the pair were unsuccessful.

The yet-to-be-named newborn, who was fathered by Dustin, is bottle-fed goat’s milk every three hours around the clock.

Because young sloths typically cling to their mothers at this age, the baby was given a variety of stuffed animals to hold.

Zoo staff have not yet identified the sex of the sloth as this will require a laboratory test.

This is the second sloth to arrive at the Zoo this spring. The first was born to Sammy on April 8; that baby is being reared by their mother and is visible to guests in the Rainforest Revealed section of the Zoo.

Sloths are threatened by the wildlife trade and habitat loss. The Zoo urges tourists visiting Central or South America to pass on “photo ops” with sloths, which often feature animals unsustainably removed from their natural habitat.

On the morning of April 8, Brevard Zoo’s animal care staff were greeted by a tiny Linnaeus’s two-toed sloth. Born to 15-year-old mother Sammy and 18-year-old father Dustin, this little one is the third sloth baby in the Zoo’s history and the first in over two years.

The baby, which has not yet been named or sexed, is tightly clung to Sammy’s underside. Both mother and child appear to be thriving and are sometimes in public view, but they have ample behind-the-scenes space to which to retreat if Sammy chooses.

Keepers used positive reinforcement techniques to train Sammy to stay still for ultrasound exams, enabling veterinarians to monitor the development of the fetus during the 10-month gestation period.

Linnaeus’s two-toed sloths are native to the rainforests of northern South America. In their natural range, sloths help disperse native plants by swallowing seeds in one location and defecating them elsewhere.

Although they are objectively adorable creatures (especially as babies), experts caution against keeping sloths as pets.

“Sloths are high-maintenance animals that need professional care, and they don’t belong in the home,” said Michelle Smurl, the Zoo’s director of animal programs. “They have long claws and sharp teeth that they won’t hesitate to use if they’re scared or stressed. If you can’t make the trip down to South America, the best way to get your sloth fix is to visit your local accredited animal care facility.”

Zoo Vienna has introduced Pauline, their lockdown baby! She is the offspring of sloths Alberta and Einstein. Little Pauline was born on April 24th during the Zoo’s first closure due to the lockdown. Now Zoo Vienna has charmed us with video of the baby. The little one already weighs three kilograms and has been holding onto rope for short distances. Usually, though, she lies on Mama Alberta like she’s in a hammock.

📸: Daniel Zupanc

Poland's  @ZOO Wrocław  Welcomes a tiny baby sloth on September 15th. This was the first such birth at the zoo. The parents are ten-year-old Celina and fourteen-year-old Apollo. The sloth's sex is not yet known.