Salisbury Zoo welcomes two baby sloths

Two baby sloths have been born at the Salisbury Zoo!

In July, Salisbury Zoo keepers suspected one or perhaps two of the female sloths might be pregnant. Unsure of exactly when either would give birth, staff kept a close eye on both of them.

Eight year old Buttercup had successfully given birth twice in the past two years, six year old Mia had not. At the end of July, zoo keeper Hannah noticed two newly born baby sloths, one on Buttercup and one on Mia.

A female was born to Buttercup and a male to Mia.

Since the births, staff have been monitoring the babies to be certain they were nursing and gaining weight. Both moms and babies have constant access to the indoor and outdoor sections of their area.

A few lucky visitors have been able to see the babies clinging to their mother outside. Because sloths are nocturnal, they spend much of the day resting in their private off-exhibit building.

Young sloths are carried by their mothers for the first 6-9 months of life.

As the babies mature, the mothers will feel more comfortable venturing outside with them. If you observe the sloths in their exhibit, the babies will most likely be found clinging to their mothers’ chests.