Zoo Atlanta welcomes new baby two-toed sloth on Father's Day

ATLANTA - Zoo Atlanta has welcomed its newest bundle of joy that arrived just in time for Father's Day.

Sunday, 6-year-old Nutella the two-toed sloth gave birth, giving male sloth Cocoa the perfect Father's Day gift.

The zoo says sloth pregnancies are unusually long for the animal kingdom with up to 11 months of a year gestation. However, sloth babies tend to develop very quickly compared to other mammals and are born fully furred with their eyes open and teeth already in their mouths.

That's not the only special slow baby on the way. The zoo says Bonnie, the other female of the sloth trio, is expecting her third baby in the next few weeks. Her two other offspring, Willow and Raisin, now live in other accredited zoos.  

"We are delighted about the birth of Nutella’s infant, especially on Father’s Day," said Jennifer Mickelberg, Ph.D., Zoo Atlanta's Vice President of Collections and Conservation. "Among mammals, sloths are unusual in almost every way. Our ability to share their adaptations with our Members and guests is one of the many ways we have of creating connections that help our visitors understand that Earth’s biodiversity is vast, many-layered, and deserving of our protection."

The animals, which are native to Central and South America, face threats due to illegal logging and electrocutions from power lines.

Nutella and her new baby can be seen daily, so long as the weather permits, in the summer sloth habitat located in the Zoo’s KIDZone.