Whether you call it a pup, an infant or even a slowbie, you have to call it cute. There’s a new baby sloth at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, and its big-eyed, pinkish-brown face is adorable.
The baby is a Hoffmann’s two-toed sloth. It was born Dec. 18 and announced to the world on New Year’s Eve. The baby’s sex has not been identified, so there are no plans for a name yet.
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo keepers say both mother, Aysan, and baby are doing well. They spend most of their time literally hanging out, with Aysan hanging upside down and her baby sprawled on her belly with its four long limbs wrapped around her torso.
“I love the way it lifts its head out of her chest fur and slowly looks around, just kind of taking it all in,” says Amber Callen-Ward, lead keeper in the zoo’s Scutes Family Gallery. “Aysan has been a great first-time mom, grooming the baby by licking its face, which is so sweet. She and the baby have been bonding well. The baby is nursing, clinging to her and taking little bites of solid foods we offer.”
The two-week-old sloth gets most of its nutrients from nursing, but keepers are also feeding it pieces of plantain, romaine lettuce, zucchini and cucumber.
Aysan moved to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in June 2023 on a breeding recommendation by the Hoffmann’s Two-Toed Sloth Species Survival Plan. Sloth gestation typically lasts 11 to 12 months, so Aysan hit if off relatively quickly in sloth-time with the baby’s father. That male sloth, Bosco, has been a long-time resident at the zoo.
Aysan’s care team knew she was pregnant and monitored the baby’s development with ultrasounds and x-rays for the past few months. The zoo says the team enjoys a trusting relationship with Aysan, who was cooperative in her health care.
Aysan and her baby sloth will continue to bond behind the scenes for the first month or so before being available for public visitors. Bosco and his first daughter, 5-year-old Bean, live in The Loft at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo where visitors can see them now.
The zoo says stay tuned to its social media channels for sloth pup-dates. You can check out our Instagram for some early video of Aysan and her new baby.
The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo makes a great activity for all-ages family fun. Find zoo hours and visiting info at cmzoo.org. If you’re looking for more ideas to entertain the kids, find them in our Favorite Winter Things to Do With Kids in Colorado Springs.
