What did the sloth say to her boyfriend after he proposed? "I think we should take things slow."
But that's not the case with the sloths at Animal World & Snake Farm Zoo! The sleepy couple, Sid and Sylvia, gave birth to an equally sleepy baby, a Linnaeus's Two-Toed sloth, on Nov. 17.
According to a press release, the birth of the young sloth was an unexpected surprise for the animal care staff members because of the sedentary lifestyle of the sloth: 18 hours of sleep a day. Also, the thick, wiry fur made it difficult to see outward signs of pregnancy.
The birth, however, now indicates a massive success in providing the exact environment required for a healthy life in captivity and even encourages the natural reproductive behavior.
Though the captive breeding of sloths is not uncommon, a successful reproduction is extremely rare.
Mother sloths nurse their babies for approximately one month before they begin to sample solid food. Even after they are weaned off their mother's milk, they stay tightly wrapped against their mother from anywhere from six months up to two years.
This young sloth will grow up to be an animal ambassador for its species at Animal World & Snake Farm Zoo.
Animal World & Snake Farm Zoo will be announcing a naming contest for the baby sloth on their Facebook page. The contest begins Dec. 1.
