Slow, But Cute

Schönbrunn Zoo ‪@thezoovienna‬ recently had a special offspring: On November 18, a two-toed sloth was born. This is the 14th offspring for the pair of sloths that can be found in the aviary. "We are very happy about this offspring. Sloths are among the most fascinating and at the same time most comfortable animals that delight our visitors," explains zoo director Dr. Stephan Hering-Hagenbeck. The sloth mother looks after her young one lovingly, which is nursed for around six months. But milk is not the only thing on the menu: the young animal is already nibbling on vegetables such as celery or lettuce from time to time. Initially well hidden in the mother's soft belly fur, the offspring are now so big that they can be easily observed with the necessary patience.

The zoo team will only determine whether the current offspring is a male or a female when the young one separates from its mother. If you want to escape the hustle and bustle of the pre-Christmas period, you should not miss a visit to the sloth family. Here you can really slow down: two-toed sloths doze for up to 20 hours a day. This saves them energy, as their plant-based diet provides very little of it. In the rainforests of South and Central America, they have developed amazing adaptations to their life in slow motion. Hering-Hagenbeck: "Sloths spend their lives hanging upside down from branches. Thanks to the crown that runs along their stomach, rainwater can drain away easily. In addition, algae grow in their fur, which provides them with camouflage and also serves as a snack."