DENVER — In true sloth fashion, the newest addition at the Denver Zoo made everyone wait.
The Linne two-toed sloth arrived on April 11 and has been deemed "very healthy" according to the zoo. The new baby, whose name and sex are yet to be determined, was born to mom Charlotte Greenie and her mate Elliot.
He or she is bonding and resting with Charlotte in their Bird World habitat, while Elliot and older sister Baby Ruth, who was born in January 2018, are temporarily off-exhibit to give mom and baby time and space to bond.
When the zoo announced Charlotte’s pregnancy in December, they estimated that the baby would be born as early as January. However, sloth due dates are notoriously challenging to predict because sloths are primarily active at night and we rarely observe their breeding.
The baby clung to Charlotte immediately after birth and will remain attached to her almost exclusively for at least six months.
Guests are welcome and encouraged to visit Charlotte and her new baby in their Bird World habitat, but should note that a clear view of the baby might be impaired by foliage or Charlotte’s tight embrace. Keepers say the best time to visit is late in the afternoon when Charlotte is more likely to be moving around.
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Linne’s two-toed sloths, which are also known as the Linnaeus’s two-toed sloth or southern two-toed sloth, are found in the rainforests of South America, primarily in Venezuela, Columbia, Ecuador, Peru and Brazil. They are a nocturnal species that spend 15 to 20 hours per day sleeping, and become active about an hour after sunset until about two hours before sunrise.
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