Zoo Atlanta celebrating arrival of baby Hoffman's two-toed sloth

A new additions is bringing a bit of slow sweetness to Zoo Atlanta. The zoo announced Nutella, one of its Hoffman's two-toed sloths, gave birth to an infant on Oct. 30. The baby is the third offspring of Nutella and Cocoa, who were recommended to breed by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan. "We are excited to welcome Nutella's newest infant," said Gina Ferrie, PhD, the zoo's vice president of collections and conservation. "Sloths have so many behaviors and adaptations that highlight the incredible biodiversity of our natural world. They also give us the opportunity to share a conservation story that helps our Members and guests appreciate the impact of human activities on wildlife." The zoo said that sloths are quite unusual among mammals with their gestation period being around 11 to 12 months. When the babies are born, they have their full fur, teeth, and claws - making them all ready to cling to their mothers. While Hoffman's two-toed sloths are not classified as endangered, they are facing habitat loss due to illegal logging in their native Central and South America, as well as dangers from power lines in their habitats. It may be a little while before you can see the little one at the zoo. Because sloths aren't fond of cold weather, Nutella and her baby are saying indoors until spring. The zoo expects to share more updates of when the baby will make its debut in the future. Zoo Atlanta has had some high-profile additions in recent weeks. Earlier in November, the zoo announced that six Bali myna chicks hatched recently , adding to the population of what is one of the world's rarest bird species. Last week, the zoo also debuted Ping Ping and Fu Shuang , a pair of 6-year-old pandas from China. The zoo is now one of three U.S. zoos with giant pandas. The other two, the National Zoo and the San Diego Zoo , both received pandas from China in 2024. In: Atlanta Featured Local Savings