Cuteness! Idaho Falls Zoo welcomes baby sloth bear - East Idaho News
Idaho Falls

Cuteness! Idaho Falls Zoo welcomes baby sloth bear

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The following is a news release from the city of Idaho Falls on Wednesday.

Visitors to the Idaho Falls Zoo are in store for a very special treat this season. For only the second time in zoo history, a sloth bear cub was born at the Idaho Falls Zoo.

The adorable male sloth bear cub was born Nov. 18, 2016, completely hairless and weighed about as much as a can of soda.

When full-grown, he will weigh over 300 pounds!

Since his birth, the cub has been under the constant care of his mother, Priya, as well as the Idaho Falls Zoo animal care and veterinary staff to ensure he remained in good health.

This is the third cub and second pregnancy for mother Priya. Mick, the cub’s father, is in a separate area from Priya and her cub as adult male bears have the potential to be aggressive toward cubs.

The bears will alternate time on exhibit when the Idaho Falls Zoo opens in April. You might see the cub riding on his mother’s back, as sloth bears are the only bear known to carry their young on their backs.

Because the Idaho Falls Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), the management of the sloth bears is advised by a national Sloth Bear Species Survival Plan developed and reviewed annually by a team of experts from across the country. This program helps monitor sloth bears at AZA accredited zoos to ensure their well-being, genetic health and survival. The birth of this new cub is a step forward for the long-term health of the sloth bear species.

Sloth bears are listed as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species. Human population growth causing higher demands for natural resources is the biggest threat to the wild sloth bear populations. Sloth bears live predominately in India.

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