Atlanta Zoo ‘Very Excited’ About Birth of Baby Two-Toed Sloth

Esme Mazzeo

19 August 2024 at 5:13 pm·2-min read

The baby sloth, born on Aug. 9, is the second offspring of Nutella, 7, and Cocoa, 31

<p>Zoo Atlanta /TMX</p> Baby sloth at Zoo Atlanta. — Zoo Atlanta /TMX
Baby sloth at Zoo Atlanta.

A sloth family at Zoo Atlanta has welcomed a new addition!

The zoo announced in a statement on Wednesday, Aug. 14, that its 7-year-old two-toed sloth named Nutella gave birth to an unnamed two-toed sloth on Friday, Aug. 9. The baby sloth's father is a male two-toed sloth named Cocoa, 31.

“We are very excited about the birth of Nutella’s infant,” said Gina Ferrie, Ph.D, Zoo Atlanta's vice president of collections and conservation. “Sloths have so many fascinating adaptations and behaviors that we can share with our Members and guests, and while they are not currently classified as endangered, they have an emerging conservation story that can help us appreciate the impact of human activities on wild animals and ecosystems."

The gestation period of sloths is an unusual 11 to 12 months, the zoo said.

<p>Zoo Atlanta /TMX</p> Infant baby sloth at Zoo Atlanta. — Zoo Atlanta /TMX
Infant baby sloth at Zoo Atlanta.

Per Zoo Atlanta, "Nutella and Cocoa were recommended to breed by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plan® (SSP)," a program that aims to keep animal populations at accredited zoos healthy, diverse and self-sustaining.

The infant sloth born on Aug. 9 is the second born to Nutella and Cocoa. Their first baby sloth, Olivia, was born on Father's Day 2023.

"We are delighted about the birth of Nutella's infant, especially on Father's Day," Jennifer Mickelberg, Ph.D., the zoo's vice president of collections and conservation, said in a statement at the time.

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Hoffmann’s two-toed sloths are native to Central and South America, per the zoo. The mammals aren't currently classified as endangered, but face threats in the wild like loss of habitat due to illegal logging and even electrocution as they try to use power lines to navigate through "fragmented forest patches" the zoo's statement read.

Zoo Atlanta's Conservation Fund supports the Sloth Conservation Project, a Costa Rica-based program that works to "rescue, rehabilitate, and release wild sloths impacted by deforestation and power line injuries," the statement explained.

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