Slow-moving creature makes debut at a North Carolina aquarium. Meet Indie the sloth
A slow-moving creature made her debut at a North Carolina aquarium — and is quickly making her mark.
The two-toed sloth — named Indie — has been an “adorable and charismatic” addition to the Greensboro Science Center, officials said.
“She is a very curious, engaging, and dare we say, ‘active’ sloth that has already charmed our entire husbandry team,” Jessica Hoffman-Balder, the center’s vice president of animal health and welfare, said in an Aug. 22 news release.
Indie is the “first animal star” that the center has gotten for its new project called Expedition Rainforest – The Greensboro Biodome. The project is being designed to feature tropical plants and animals in a greenhouse setting, renderings show.
“A true ambassador of the rainforest, Indie will bring a touch of calm, charm and fascination to the Greensboro Biodome,” the wildlife park wrote.
The science center told McClatchy News in an email that the rainforest project likely won’t be completed until 2026, so Indie is expected to join other sloths in the Biodome at a later date. But for now, visitors can see Indie in her temporary home at the Amazon exhibit in the center’s aquarium.
Indie was born in 2021 at the Brevard Zoo in Florida, where she was known for “munching on just about anything.” She comes to Greensboro after the science center said it worked with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums to get a sloth.
“No pun intended, but we have been waiting for a long time to finally acquire Indie, as sloths have become an incredibly popular species for zoos and aquariums...” Hoffman-Balder wrote. “Indie was definitely worth the wait.”
The science center shared a photo of Indie on Facebook, and some social media users were eager to see her in person. She’s a two-toed sloth, a species native to parts of Central and South America, according to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute.
The sloth species is known for clinging to tree branches and for having algae-covered hair that helps them hide from predators. They also move slowly but, “despite being nearly immobile on the forest floor, they are surprisingly competent swimmers,” the science center said.
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