Visitors at Minnesota’s Como Park Zoo & Conservatory were treated to an unforgettable experience: a two-toed sloth unexpectedly gave birth right in front of them.
Sago, 6 years old, went into labor on April 2, surprising senior zookeeper Jill Erzar. Although Erzar had suspected Sago was expecting her first baby — having been intentionally paired with a male for breeding purposes — sloths do not show visible signs during their 11.5-month pregnancy.
However, Sago was hungrier than usual in the days leading up to her delivery.
“I remember one of my keepers came to me and said, 'Sago seems ravenous,’ but I didn't think much of it,” Erzar tells TODAY.com. "Other than that, we didn't notice any changes. She wasn't restless or anything like that."
Erzar says Sago is "typically very reclusive and likes to keep to herself,” but she appeared to want an audience as she brought new life into the world. (Watch it here.)
“I think she wanted to show everyone what she created!” Erzar says, noting that Sago severed the umbilical cord with her teeth and proceeded to ingest the placenta. According to Erzar, many mammals eat the afterbirth to deter predator attention.
The birth itself lasted 20 minutes and required no medical intervention from Erzar — Sago did it all by herself while upside down on a branch. Due to limited external characteristics, determining the gender of a sloth’s offspring can take weeks.
Erzar estimates that the baby weighs “just under one pound.”
Sago will spend the next six to nine months holding and nursing her baby.
Erzar mentions that the newborn's father, 3-year-old Ziggy, is curious about the new addition to their habitat, but Sago isn't up for sharing quite yet. For now, she prefers that one-on-one bonding time.
“She’s very protective,” Erzar says. “She’s been up in a tree and has the choice to come down, but she hasn’t. She’s clearly enjoying those snuggles.”
