Zoo Miami celebrates birth of sloth bears
MIAMI - For the first time since 1998, sloth bears have been born at Zoo Miami.
Kematee, a four-year-old slot bear, gave birth to two female cubs on December 4th. These were the first births for Kematee, who arrived at the zoo from the Philadelphia Zoo in 1921. The bear sloths' father is "Hank," who is 11 years old, arrived at Zoo Miami in 2016 from the National Zoo in Washington D.C. where he was born.
Zoo Miami's Animal Health Team was able to do a neonatal exam this week and found the cubs were in good health, weighing between 2 and 3 pounds each.
According to a statement from Zoo Miami, "Kematee will remain off-exhibit, secluded in her den with the cubs, to help ensure that they are able to continue to establish a strong bond with minimal interruptions or distractions. She is demonstrating excellent maternal care, and the hope is to introduce mom and cubs onto their outdoor habitat as soon as the staff is confident that they are able to safely navigate the area which may take several weeks."
Sloth bears are found in moist and dry forests of the Indian subcontinent. They eat primarily fruit and insects - especially termites. A gap in their upper front teeth enables them to create a straw with their long lips and suck up termites, and other insects, effectively.
They are solitary animals that have long shaggy coats, but no undercoats, which helps keep them cool in their native warm climate while protecting them from biting insects.
They are considered a vulnerable species that is threatened by poaching and habitat destruction.