Watch CBS News

Denver Zoo Sloth Baby: It's A Girl!

DENVER (CBS4) - The baby sloth born at the Denver Zoo in January now has a name.

Zoo staff on Friday afternoon were joined by a special guest to announce that the baby is a girl and that its name is Baby Ruth.

sloth announcement
(credit: Denver Zoo)

Ellie Ferris, a patient at Children's Hospital Colorado and big sloth fan, got emotional after opening a scrolling banner that showed the name.

sloth (2)
(credit: Denver Zoo)

In an update from the zoo a few weeks ago, staff said the baby -- a Linne's two-toed sloth -- was still nursing some but had begun to eat some solid food.

baby ruth
(credit: Denver Zoo)

Charlotte Greenie, a 21-year-old sloth, was pregnant for 10 months before she gave birth to Baby Ruth. Elliot, 27, is the father.

Baby Ruth's name and gender were a mystery until just recently.

"Animal care staff had to wait until very recently to conduct a more thorough examination to determine her sex," zoo staff wrote in a news release.

LINK: Denver Zoo

Charlotte and Baby Ruth can be found in their exhibit in Bird World. Sloths sleep a lot -- 15 to 20 hours a day -- and in the exhibit they can sometimes be hard to see because of the foliage in it.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.