ICYMI: 2 Baby Sloths Born At Busch Gardens Tampa Bay

TAMPA, FL — Spring is in the air and Busch Gardens is celebrating the arrival of not one, but two sloth babies.

The critters – a Hoffman’s two-toed sloth and a Linne’s two-toed sloth – were born at the zoo over the past few weeks. The first arrival came March 24 to mother, Grizzly, and father, Teddy. The now 4-week-old baby weighed in at 6.6 ounces at birth.

“After noticing that the baby was not nursing regularly, the animal care team made the decision to hand-nurse the baby via syringe every two hours,” Busch Gardens announced in a media release about the sloths’ arrival. The little critter remains under 24-hour watch.

The second baby, the Linne’s two-toed, came into the world on April 2. The baby is the first for mother, Daisy, and father, Mario. It weighed in at 19.4 ounces at birth and is being cared for by Daisy, the park said.

“Sloth births are part of Busch Gardens’ partnership with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' (AZA) Species Survival Plan (SSP),” the park explained. “The mission of the SSP is to cooperatively manage species populations within AZA-accredited facilities.”

Hoffman’s two-toed sloths are native to central Brazil, Peru and Nicaragua. They have an average lifespan of about 15 to 20 years, according to SeaWorld, but can live more than 30 years in managed situations. Linne’s two-toed sloths are also native to South America, according to The Animal Files. They also live an average of about 20 years.

The babies, who have yet to be named, will soon be on display in the park’s Jambo Junction. Busch Gardens hasn’t said exactly when visitors can expect to catch their first glimpses of the babies.

For more information about Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, visit the park’s website.

Photo and video courtesy of Busch Gardens Tampa Bay