atlanta zoo
June 27, 2023

Hi! I’m Channing One of his newest additions to the African Small Primate and Sloth Breeding Team. Before moving to Atlanta, I was a hoof stock and elephant keeper at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens. I miss working with hoof stocks and elephants, but the primates (and sloths that are not primates but are under our team’s control) and the very strong personalities of all individuals here at the zoo Excited to learn more about what it looks like. .

Sloths live in the rainforests of Central and South America, such as Costa Rica and Panama. They naturally live in rainforests with lots of rain, so their hair is usually so wet that fungi and algae thrive, and their skin stays very moist as well. Additionally, these algae and fungi help camouflage the treetops by turning them from gray or brown to green. While this may be a lucky occurrence for sloths, this color change is very useful for hiding from predators such as harpy eagles and big cats. Amazingly, some of the fungi and algae that grow on sloth hairs can help prevent certain types of bacteria, parasites, and even cancer. It proves once again that staying wet is beneficial for sloths in many ways. Can you imagine getting covered in fungi and algae as a way to stay healthy like a sloth?

Atlanta is very humid, but not as humid as the rainforest. Because the Atlanta Zoo is not located in a rainforest, additional care must be provided to replicate the sloths’ natural habitat as closely as possible. You may see us tending sloths, and one of the ways we do this is by manually or automatically misting them multiple times a day to help maintain the necessary humidity levels on their skin. is to spray water with However, no amount of misting is likely to keep it moist enough for algae to grow, but living in a zoo provides such good health care that we don’t have to grow our own health care. You can, so no problem. their bodies. Depending on humidity, weather, and season, the amount you need to spray your sloths can vary.

On Sunday, June 18th, we welcomed the fourth member of Sloth Snuggle. Nutella became her first-time mother, and Cocoa became a father again on her Father’s Day. Our other adult woman, Bonnie, is also pregnant and we are excitedly awaiting the arrival of our second child. All of our sloth families are currently out in the KIDZone habitat, weather permitting.

This year, the Sloth Conservation Project is one of the conservation projects at the Atlanta Zoo. When you visit the Atlanta Zoo Protected Area, you can vote for sloths and win grants to help this organization protect and release sloths and other native animals back into the wild to maintain healthy populations. can.

(Photo: Jody Carrigan)

Channing M.
Keeper I, Primate