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

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." 

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." 

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. 

"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. 

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