VISITORS to Jersey Zoo will be able to observe two new creatures hanging around today.
Sloths Rio and Terry are on show within their new home in the cloud forest for the first time.
The mammals are noted for their slowness of movement and, in their natural habitat, spend most of their time hanging upside down in the tropical rainforests of South America.
In the wild, sloths sleep for around 15 hours a day and spend the rest of their time eating up to two-thirds of their body weight.
The pair are now living at the Zoo alongside howler monkeys, Andean bears and bush dogs in their custom-built home, and it is hoped that they willsoon feel relaxed enough to breed.
Durrell’s director of zoo operations, Graeme Dick, said Rio and Terry had been brought to Jersey as part of the species’ European breeding programme.
He said: ‘We’re really excited to have sloths here at Jersey Zoo and know our visitors will love them too.’
Rio has moved to the Island from Bristol Zoo and Terry from ZSL London Zoo. Their enclosure has been designed to give visitors an immersive view of their activities and allows them to move around while remaining off the ground most of the time – as they would in their natural environment.
Mr Dick added: ‘We hope the sloths and our guests will enjoy being transported to the rainforest and learn a little about our conservation projects in Brazil.’
Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust is an international charity working to save species from extinction. At its headquarters in Jersey Zoo, it focuses on the most-threatened species. It was founded in 1959 by the author and conservationist Gerald Durrell.
