Baby Sloth Hanging Around Lincoln Park Zoo
CHICAGO (CBS) – Things just got a little lazier at Lincoln Park Zoo.
A Hoffman's two-toed sloth gave birth to a healthy baby on Feb. 15. Zoo officials don't know the infant's gender yet and haven't named it, but the new arrival is doing well under the care of its 20-year-old, first-time mother.
"Despite being an inexperienced new mother she is being very attentive and caring for her youngster," Diane Mulkerin, Lincoln Park Zoo curator, said in a news release. "The baby is nursing, clinging well and appears healthy."
The common mammal is native to Central and South America and is known for their slow movement and large hooked claws that allow them to hang from trees.
The Hoffman's two-toed sloth weighs, on average 12 pounds and can reach a length of 27 inches.
The infant's mother can be seen daily at Lincoln Park Zoo's Regenstein Small Mammal-Reptile House. She is nocturnal, so while sleeping during the day, the infant will be curled up clinging to mom's chest for comfort and safety.
