LINCOLN PARK — A sloth family is welcoming a new healthy baby into the world at the Lincoln Park Zoo.
The Hoffman's two-toed baby sloth was born July 25, joining its 21-year-old mother Hershey and 32-year-old father Carlos in the Regenstein Small Mammal-Reptile House.
[Lincoln Park Zoo]
Zoo officials haven't been able to determine the sex of the baby sloth yet, as it's been tightly clinging to its mother.
"The sloth infant appears healthy and is passing critical milestones such as nursing regularly and clinging well to mother,” said zoo curator Diane Mulkerin. “Hersey is a first-time mother and is being very attentive to her new young.”
Visitors can see the sloth family daily from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. at the mammal-reptile house. The best time to see active sloths would be towards the evening, seeing as sloths are nocturnal and spend their days curled up in the canopy.
These sloths have large hooked claws that allow them to hang from the treetops in the canopies of tropical rainforests in Central and South America.
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