An adorable, furry baby Hoffman’s two-toed sloth has made its debut at zoo in Florida .
Zookeepers at the Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society have been monitoring the baby sloth and its mother, Wilbur, since witnessing the birth early in the morning of Jan. 23.
“This happened right in front of my eyes as we were on a 24-hour watch,” said Kelly Fad, the zoo’s general curator who also witnessed the birth. “The hanging mom literally scoops down and helps baby come up onto her body. She starts cleaning and the nursing started within just a couple of hours.”
Wilbur, who was the last sloth born at the Palm Beach Zoo 21 years ago, and her mate Dustin are part of a professional scientific breeding program called the Species Survival Plan. It manages the population of sloths in human care since their genetics may contribute to wild populations in the future, zoo officials said.
Fad says Wilbur and Dustin were matched in a way she compared to dating apps for humans.
Turns out, they were a perfect match.