Meet Little Nova, Adorable Sloth Born On New Year’s Day At London Zoo

Recently, sloths have attracted a lot of interest from viewers worldwide, and they can be spotted appearing in many well-known media projects and films, such as Ice Age and Zootopia, to name a few examples. They are loved for being far too adorable in appearance and characteristics. It's impossible for viewers to avoid falling in love with these cute sloths. So, in case you have no idea about this way too lovely animal, follow us and meet sloth Nova, the sweet baby who was born on New Year’s Day of 2023.
In January 2023, London Zoo welcomed the birth of a two-toed sloth, their very first infant of the year.

Source: London Zoo

Her mother is Marilyn, a sixteen-year-old sloth who was closely monitored with regular ultrasounds during her 10-11 month pregnancy. Zookeepers had kept a close eye on Marilyn, over Christmas and were thrilled to finally spot two big brown eyes peering out through her fur.
"We were delighted to finally spot a tiny baby exactly where it should be, clinging onto Marilyn's tummy, as she curled up in her favorite tree," sloth keeper Veronica Heldt said of the first time the zoo spotted the baby animal.

Source: London Zoo

Due to their long gestation periods, sloths are commonly thought to be fully developed when they are born. So, after giving birth, infant sloths can gobble up food right away and cling to their mother. The situation is luckily also the same with the new baby at London Zoo; the child is now really healthy and adorable.
"Sloth babies are very strong when they're born and immediately find a comfy spot, hugging mum, which they won't leave entirely until around 12 months old," Heldt said. "This enables them to build up the valuable muscles needed to spend life slowly swinging from tree to tree."

Source: London Zoo

In a statement shared about the name of the newborn, staff at the zoo said: "We've nicknamed the little one Nova, which means 'new' in Latin, as we couldn't have asked for a better start to the new year."

Source: London Zoo

It’s impossible for people at the zoo to know the youngster's sex until vets confirm it through a DNA test. Anyway, no matter what gender the child is, it’s still a valuable addition to the species. Once the newborn's sex is confirmed, its details will be added to the European Studbook, and they will take part in a coordinated breeding program for two-toed sloths.

Source: London Zoo

The baby sloth is not yet ready to show herself; however, visitors can consider coming to the zoo and meeting Marilyn and Leander, the baby’s parents.
Do you agree with us that this baby sloth is so cute? If you love this adorable sloth, please like and share our article. Also, visit our site now because more amazing posts about animals are waiting for you!