THE FIRST-EVER BABY sloth has been born at Fota Wildlife Park.

It was born to mother Talyta and father Matheo after a gestation lasting six months at the Co Cork park. 

The baby, whose gender is still unknown, was born on April 30th and can be viewed the baby sloth in the park’s Tropical House, which recently reopened to the public after closure due to the pandemic. 

Members of the public have also been invited to help the park name the baby sloth. 

Lead ranger Julien Fonteneau said Fota was delighted to announce the birth of the first-ever Linné’s two-toed sloth at the park. 

“Not only does the Wildlife Park have great success breeding the fastest land animal and the tallest land animal in the world, and now also with the world’s slowest moving animal, the sloth,” he said.

“Due to the nocturnal nature of the sloth, getting a glimpse of the baby can be elusive. Young sloths will cling to their mother’s belly for approximately five weeks until they have the strength to move on their own.

“The little one is already pulling at leaves and other foods we give to the adults, although not leaving the mother’s safety on its own yet.”

Dad Matheo, who is four and a half years old, was transferred from Wilhelma Zoo, Stuttgart, Germany, to Fota Wildlife Park in 2019. Mother Talyta, who is three years old, came from Papiliorama Swiss Tropical Gardens to Fota Wildlife Park in November 2020.

The nocturnal creatures are native to South America and eat, sleep, mate, and give birth from their upside-down position high among the branches.

The only time they descend to the forest floor is to go to the toilet, which they do about once a week. To move to a new area of trees, sloths often have to wait for the forest to flood, which facilitates swimming to a new resting site.

Their diet primarily consists of various leaves, stems, buds, and a selection of fruit but insects are also consumed.

This type of diet requires a specialised digestive system and sloths possess a large, four-chambered stomach, like cows.

Due to the low nutritional value of their leafy diet, sloths are slow to exert themselves unless necessary.

When in their native habitat, predators such as jaguars, harpy eagles and anacondas pose a threat in their native habitats. They defend themselves with their sharp claws and teeth, and if required, sloths can move quickly through the trees to evade capture.