Son of mother Nutella and father Cocoa, Zoo Atlanta’s infant two-toed sloth born on Aug. 9 has been named Rolo after the chocolate caramel candy. The baby sloth looks just as sweet.
Rolo is his parents’ second offspring and the first male sloth ever born at Zoo Atlanta. His name was selected from almost 2,000 submitted by the public between Oct. 24 and Nov. 1 as part of a public naming campaign.
“We are excited to be able to associate a name with this special infant. For our members and guests, a name can help make a connection to an individual, and a connection to an individual can lead to a connection with a species,” said VP of Collections and Conservation, Gina Ferrie, Ph.D. “We look forward to watching Rolo grow up as he helps us tell the story of these fascinating animals and their place in wild ecosystems.”
Rolo can be seen with or near Nutella at the Zoo’s Brazilian Outpost section of the Orkin Children’s Zoo. Like all infant sloths, Rolo was born fully furred, with his eyes open, teeth present and fully-developed claws for clinging to Nutella.
Credit: Channing Milchuck/Zoo Atlanta
Credit: Channing Milchuck/Zoo Atlanta
Rolo is a Hoffman’s two-toed sloth, a species native to Central and South Africa that faces mounting threats in the wild, including habitat loss caused by illegal logging and frequent electrocutions caused by power lines. According to the Sloth Conservation Foundation in Costa Rica, which is a program supported by Zoo Atlanta’s Conservation Fund, hundreds of sloths are electrocuted each year while attempting to use power lines to travel among fragmented forest patches. The Project, which works to rescue, rehabilitate and release wild sloths, estimates 3,000 sloths are lost annually in Costa Rica alone.
Rolo’s name also reflects Zoo Atlanta’s commitment to supporting companies, in this case Nestlé, using only sustainable palm oil in candies and other products. According to its press release, Zoo Atlanta is a member of the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil, a global, nonprofit organization with voluntary members focused on developing and implementing global standards for sustainable palm oil.
Families who want to go see Rolo can purchase tickets or zoo memberships online at zooatlanta.org.
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