A baby sloth born this week at the Honolulu Zoo is now on public display with its mother. The Linneaus’s two-toed sloth, also known as a southern two-toed sloth, was born on Monday afternoon, September 18. The baby sloth is too young for staff to determine its sex, so a name for the zoo’s newest arrival will be given later.
This is the third baby sloth born at the Honolulu Zoo to mother Harriet and father Quando. The two other siblings are both females. Opihi was born on April 24, 2015, and Akala was born on July 17, 2016. They are also on display with their father.
The Honolulu Zoo participates in several of the Association of Zoos & Aquarium’s Species Survival Programs, which includes the two-toed sloth. As part of the Species Survival Program, Harriet and Quando are considered a genetically valuable pair.
Sloths give birth to one offspring at a time, but do not readily breed in zoos. Two-toed sloths are nocturnal and sleep 16 to 18 hours per day, with a diet consisting of leaves and fruit. Offspring will stay with their mom for 9 to 12 months.