Too cute: Zoo Atlanta welcomes adorable baby two-toed sloth

The newest resident at Zoo Atlanta does not yet have a name

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Georgia's Zoo Atlanta is celebrating the birth of a Hoffmann's two-toed sloth earlier this month.

The sloth infant, which has not yet been publicly named, was born Aug. 9 to its mother, Nutella, 7, and father Cocoa, 31, Zoo Atlanta said in an Aug. 14 press release. 

It is Nutella's second child. Her first, a female named Olivia, was born in June 2023, the zoo said.

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"We are very excited about the birth of Nutella’s infant," said Gina Ferrie, vice president of collections and conservation at Zoo Atlanta. 

Sloths, she said, "have so many fascinating adaptations and behaviors that we can share with our members and guests." 

A baby sloth.

A baby Hoffmann's two-toed sloth was born this month at Zoo Atlanta. The zoo said it's "very excited" about the infant's arrival.  (Zoo Atlanta/TMX)

Sloth pregnancies last for approximately 11 months to a year, something the zoo said is "unusually long for the animal kingdom." 

These pregnancies, the zoo added, "are not easily confirmed," adding to the excitement over the new sloth baby's arrival. 

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Although sloth pregnancies are very long, "sloth infants develop at a notably more rapid pace than do most other mammal babies," said Zoo Atlanta.

Sloth infants are "born fully furred, with their eyes open and teeth already present and have fully developed claws for clinging to their mothers." 

A baby sloth sticking its tongue out.

Sloths, said Zoo Atlanta, are born with their eyes open and are "fully furred."  (Zoo Atlanta/TMX)

While Hoffmann's two-toed sloths are "not currently classified as endangered," Ferrie said, "they have an emerging conservation story that can help us appreciate the impact of human activities on wild animals and ecosystems." 

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Hoffmann's two-toed sloths are native to Central and South America, according to Zoo Atlanta, and "face mounting threats in the wild" due to illegal logging practices and other human activities. 

A fully grown Hoffmann's tow-toed sloth.

The Hoffmann's two-toed sloth is native to South and Central America. (Getty Images)

"Hundreds of sloths are electrocuted each year while attempting to use power lines to travel among fragmented forest patches," Zoo Atlanta said.

Zoo Atlanta works with the Sloth Conservation Project, a Costa Rica-based organization that rescues, rehabilitates and releases sloths.

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Nutella and her newest offspring can be seen at the Summer Sloth Habitat. 

Christine Rousselle is a lifestyle reporter with Fox News Digital.

Authored by Christine Rousselle via FoxNews August 17th 2024