Denver Zoo Expecting Baby Sloth
DENVER (CBS4) – Two days after releasing video of an ultrasound showing a baby in the uterus of an animal, the Denver Zoo has revealed what kind of baby it is.
It's a sloth!
Denver Zoo officials said sloths Charlotte and Elliot are expecting a baby.
"We're not completely sure how far along [Charlotte] is," Animal Keeper Anton Morrison said. "We know she's eight to 10 months pregnant. Sloths have a gestation period of around 10 months.
Morrison said it is hard to tell how far along Charlotte is because there isn't a lot of data available to compare ultrasounds.
"There aren't many sloths in the world that are ultrasound trained like Charlotte," he explained. "We don't have a lot of things to compare this pregnancy to around the world."
Charlotte, whose "last name" is Greenie, is a Linnaeus two-toed sloth. She was brought to the zoo in 2015 and introduced to Elliot soon afterwards. Elliot arrived in 2007, according to Morrison, and was excited to meet Charlotte.
"When Elliot approached her I had never seen Elliot move so fast," Morrison said. "They were together all day so we knew that it was a good match."
Morrison said he is excited for the baby sloth's arrival, which could happen anytime.
"If you put your hand on [Charlotte's] belly now you can actually feel it kick," he said with a smile.
Zoo officials said that it's not known if Charlotte is having boy or girl and that likely won't be known for a few months after it is born.
Morrison and other zoo staff are doing ultrasound work with Charlotte at her exhibit in Bird World every day.
Kelly Werthmann joined the CBS4 team as the morning reporter in 2012. After serving as weekend morning anchor, Kelly is now Covering Colorado First for CBS4 News at 10. Connect with Kelly on Facebook or follow her on Twitter @KellyCBS4.
