Cute alert! Zookeepers teach baby sloth how to be a sloth
SOUTH BEND, Indiana (Storyful/KFOR) - While hanging upside down and keeping a close eye on her new baby, a mama sloth watched as staff at Potawatomi Zoo in South Bend, Indiana, taught her infant two-toed sloth how to hang onto tree branches with the use of a towel.
Born on May 9th, the baby is the first-known sloth to be born at the Zoo. Zookeepers are not yet sure whether the baby is male or female.
After a quick medical check-up, the little sloth is seen climbing up onto his mama's belly. The proud parents are mom, Lily, and dad, Lola.
According to the Smithsonian Zoo, babies cling to their mother’s belly for five weeks until they are strong enough to move on their own.
Two-toed sloths are nocturnal and notoriously slow-moving creatures. They are native to the rainforests of Central American and northern South America.
"It’s a significant birth for the sustainability of this species, and we look forward to all our visitors having the opportunity to watch this baby grow up," Potawatomi Zoo Executive Director Josh Sisk said.