A sloth has been born in Scotland for the first time, and has been named in honour of Sir David Attenborough. The Linne's two-toed sloth arrived at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland's (RZSS) Edinburgh Zoo on Monday, May 11.
The baby, named Atty, will spend the first six months of his life gripping tightly onto the stomach of his mother, Feira, who is a first-time parent, as is his father, Nico. Keepers chose the name in tribute to Sir David Attenborough, who celebrated his 100th birthday on May 8, and previously stated in a 2017 BBC interview that he would choose to be a sloth for a day.
Jess Brown, head keeper at the zoo, said: “This is ground-breaking not just for Edinburgh Zoo, but for Scotland. Seeing a sloth baby clinging to mum for the very first time has been so special for the whole team and we can’t wait for visitors to see little Atty.”
Sloths, which live in tropical lowlands and forests in South America, move very slowly and spend about 15 hours a day sleeping. As Atty grows older, he will learn which leaves are safe to eat by sampling food directly from his mother's mouth.
Feira and Atty are currently resting, but visitors can see them at the sloth house from 2pm on Wednesday, May 13. Opening hours may vary, so visitors are advised to check upon arrival.
