Baby sloth enchants crowd at San Diego Zoo
The public got its first view of the San Diego Zoo’s new baby sloth last week.
Xena and her weeks-old baby nonchalantly feasted on cucumber and other delicacies late Sunday morning at the zoo as eager onlookers crowded near.
Hanging upside down from a perch, Xena angled her head to take the food, while the baby clung to the mother at various improbable angles.
It’s the first baby for Xena, a Linné’s two-toed sloth. Her baby, the result of a dalliance with Brad Pitt, was born April 19.
If they’re in the mood, mother and child can be seen every Sunday at 11 a.m. at the San Diego Zoo’s Africa Rocks stage area. They can also be seen three times a week through private tours.
The baby’s sex isn’t known yet, the zoo said in a Friday announcement.
“We did have to do some DNA testing, and we’re waiting for the results, senior keeper Kelly Lee said in the statement. “It’s really hard to tell a female from a male just by looking at them.”
The baby is close to the end of being weaned, and took bits of veggie treats from a keeper. So did Xena, who was constantly being fed to keep her attention focused.
The zoo says the baby sloth is curious about the keepers, and will even maneuver on Xena to get close to them.
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