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By Meredith Ganzman, Radio.com
Meet the Atlanta zoo’s newest, cutest and laziest resident: a baby sloth.
The infant is sloooooooowly bonding with its mom Bonnie, an 18-year-old Hoffmann's two-toed sloth, according to Zoo Atlanta. The father is 25-year-old male Cocoa.
“We’re delighted about the birth of Bonnie’s infant and are looking forward to sharing more about its growth and development,” said Dr. Jennifer Mickelberg, Vice President of Collections and Conservation. “Animal adaptations make up some of the most fascinating educational facts we have to share with our guests. This is especially true of the sloth, an animal about which so much is unusual compared with other mammals.”
Here’s a close up look at Bonnie’s sleepy sloth baby! The high pitch squeaks are actually the golden lion tamarins the sloths share their habitat with, but you can hear some baby smacks! (Video by Jodi Carrigan) #OnlyZooATL pic.twitter.com/V1nAmfzYWr— Zoo Atlanta (@ZooATL) November 8, 2018
Sloths are famed in the animal world for moving slowly, but after a lengthy gestation period of up to 12 months, they actually develop quite quickly. They are born fully furred and with their eyes open. The newborns have teeth and are able to cling to their mothers with their claws. Infant sloths may continue to remain near their mothers for a year.
No word yet on a name for this little cutie. It seems to be taking awhile.
