Rare Sloth Bear Cub Born At Cleveland Zoo

CLEVELAND — A rare sloth bear cub was born at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. It's the first sloth bear born at the zoo in 30 years.

The unnamed cub currently weighs about six pounds and is in the process of learning to walk. Both the cub and its mother are healthy, but will remain in their den for several more weeks before heading out to meet the public, zoo officials said.

The cub's gender has not yet been determined, but zoo officials said they would continue to provide updates on the cub's health and progress. The public will eventually have a chance to help name the cub.

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The Metroparks Zoo announced Tuesday the cub had been born to 4-year-old mom, Shiva, and 13-year-old dad, Balawat. The cub was born Jan. 14, 2019 and is the first cub that either Shiva or Balawat have produced.

While the cub currently weighs only six pounds, sloth bears can grow to a staggering 300 pounds. The species has flexible snouts, for vacuuming up termites or grubs from trees. The sloth bears also eat fruits, flowers, sugar cane, and honey, the zoo said.

Young sloths will ride on their mother's back by clinging to their long fur, the zoo added.

"Sloth bears are listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Cleveland Metroparks Zoo is currently supporting a project to protect sloth bears in Nepal, where populations have declined dramatically in recent decades due to habitat loss, human-wildlife conflict and poaching," the zoo said in a statement.