Honolulu Zoo welcomes another baby two-toed sloth
COURTESY HONOLULU ZOO
Honolulu Zoo resident and mother sloth Harriet gave birth to a new baby sloth on the morning of May 5.
Honolulu Zoo residents Harriet and Quando have done it again — produced another healthy baby sloth.
Zoo officials announced the birth of a sixth baby southern two-toed sloth last Thursday, the early morning of Cinco de Mayo.
Sloth mother Harriet, 9, and father Quando, 19, are also the parents of female sloths Opihi, who was born on April 24, 2015; Akala, who was born on July 17, 2016; Tommi, who was born on Sept. 18, 2017; and Lolohi, who was born on Dec. 18, 2018. Their first male sloth, Pono, was born on March 7, 2021.
The new baby sloth has not been named since it will take several months before its gender can be determined, zoo officials said.
Honolulu Zoo participates in several of the Association of Zoos & Aquarium’s species survival programs, which include the two-toed sloth, and Harriet and Quando are considered a genetically valuable pair.
Sloths give birth to one offspring at a time, but do not readily breed in zoos, according to officials. Offspring will stay with their mom for nine to 12 months.
Don't miss out on what's happening!
Stay in touch with top news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It's FREE!
Southern two-toed sloths, also known as Linnaeus’s two-toed sloths, are slow-moving, nocturnal creatures that spend most of their time upside down in trees. They sleep 16 to 18 hours per day and live on a diet of leaves and fruit.
Tommi, Akala and Lolohi have taken residence at other zoos. Akala resides at Panaewa Zoo in Hilo and has two offspring of her own. Opihi and Pono share an exhibit near the front of the Honolulu Zoo with two golden lion tamarins.
