Slow-moving creature gives birth at Florida zoo. See the adorable new addition
A slow-moving creature gave birth at a Florida zoo — and social media users can’t get enough of the adorable new addition.
Photos shared on Facebook show the furry sloth clinging to mom Sammy at the Brevard Zoo. Visitors can see the baby in her habitat — but the little one may be “hard to spot” for now.
“This baby will stay holding onto Sammy for about six months to a year and start to explore off of mom after a couple of months,” the zoo wrote March 24 in a blog post. “Being so close with mom all day, our veterinary staff will not perform any exams anytime soon, meaning we won’t know the gender of the baby for quite some time.”
The zoo said 18-year-old Sammy welcomed the newborn March 14, marking the fourth time she gave birth. She’s described as an “expert caretaker,” and she and the baby are doing well.
“Hours after giving birth, the pair was back out on habitat and taking snacks from her animal care team,” the wildlife park wrote. “She also was sure to sneak in plenty of naps throughout the day, as well. Sammy also continues to have access to a private behind-the-scenes area if she prefers some quite time.”
Meanwhile, the baby is known to sleep but sometimes opens its eyes and nurses. The zoo didn’t reveal the baby’s name in online posts or immediately share additional details with McClatchy News on March 25.
Several Facebook users chimed in to congratulate Sammy on her new addition, and the zoo’s post gained more than 1,000 reactions within two days of being shared online.
Sammy and her baby live with monkeys, which haven’t paid much attention to the newborn. The little one is a Linnaeus’s two-toed sloth, a species native to the rainforests of Central and South America.
“Arguably the slowest-moving mammals in the world, sloths will only descend from the forest canopy to move to another tree or go to the bathroom,” the zoo wrote on its website.
The wildlife park is in Melbourne, a roughly 70-mile drive southeast from Orlando.
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