“We have two-toed sloths here at the zoo. This enclosure is home to a fella named Roger. He’s about four years old.”
Tim rubbed his hands together. “I’m dying to meet him.”
Judy unlocked the enclosure and signaled for them to follow her in quickly. “I don’t blame you; he’s a special animal.”
The room was filled with a waterfall and about ten different branches of varying heights. Birds and monkeys chirped inside the neighboring enclosures. Roger was easy to spot, hanging upside down near the far side of the room. Two legs hung onto different branches and his arms hugged a third. His long claws reminded Gemma of a dinosaur’s.
“I thought I’d have you guys feed Roger, then have you help me with his training session.” Judy brought out a cup and removed its top. The noise seemed to wake up Roger, who opened his eyes and studied them quizzically upside down. “They have nutrient-poor diets, but today he’ll be getting some fruits, veggies, and hard-boiled eggs.”
“I was about to ask what you used to supplement their protein.” Tim explained that he had experience working with rehabilitating wild sloths, and they also used eggs in Costa Rica.
“It seems a little unusual to feed them eggs. I thought they only eat leaves,” Gemma said.
Judy fed Roger a few berries. “Sloths will eat anything they find in the wild. If they find a bird’s nest, they will absolutely take advantage of it and eat the eggs. They’re a lot smarter than people give them credit for.”
Gemma nodded in understanding.
“Who wants to feed Roger first?”
Tim wasn’t shy about stepping forward. With confidence, he approached the sloth and placed a few nuts inside his mouth. His big expressive eyes reminded Gemma of a cartoon animal.
“May I touch him?” Tim asked.
“Knock yourself out.”
He scratched the top of Roger’s head with two fingers. “You like that, big guy, don’t you.”
When it was Gemma’s turn, she offered the sloth some berries. As she touched his fur, she inhaled sharply. “It’s like a hairbrush.”
Tim laughed. “Yup, it’s not soft. If it were, his fur wouldn’t be water repellent.”
Gemma’s pulse increased as she realized that Roger had stopped moving. A hint of fear swelled in her chest. “Is he okay? Did I do something wrong?”
Judy took a couple steps closer. “Oh, Roger’s fine. He just fell asleep.”
“In the middle of eating?”
“Yeah, it happens all the time. He’ll wake up in a couple minutes.”
“Oh, is that all.” She let out a sigh of relief. It was reassuring to know she hadn’t done anything wrong with the sloth.
“Come on, I’ll take you two over to see Esmeralda, our female sloth. She’s out on exhibit right now.”
“Is there a reason they’re not together?”
Judy smiled. “She’s recently become a mom. We wanted her and the baby to settle in before we let old Roger out.”
Inside a room that resembled a rainforest, Judy pointed to her lips, then to a sloth a little smaller than Roger who was asleep sitting on a branch like a koala bear. Looking closely, Gemma could make out the zoo’s newest addition. Esmerelda’s bundle of joy rested its little head against her chest, a patch of fuzzy hair poking up. Slipping out her mobile phone, she took a few photos, then they left the room.
“The baby is adorable. Do they always stay attached to the mom like koalas?” she asked.
Judy explained that mum and baby usually stayed attached until the little one was strong enough to swing from the branches of the trees. “On average in the wild, it takes up to about nine months, but in captivity, it’s a little faster. We have a live feed you can follow online for updates too.”
Tim stroked his jaw. “I know what I’ll be streaming on my classroom’s computer during my downtime.”
After they asked a couple more questions about the sloths, Judy dropped them back at the zoo’s entrance and bid them farewell.
“That was amazing. I’ll never want to pass on a behind-the-scenes experience again. If you want to see the zoo, that’s definitely the way to do it.” Gemma wrapped her arms around Tim and hugged him tightly. “I had so much fun. Thank you for spoiling me.”
