Name the Newborn

New mom Wilber was born at Palm Beach Zoo 21 years ago. PALM BEACH ZOO & CONSERVATION SOCIETY / COURTESY PHOTO

Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society is asking the public to help with its newest addition.

First-time sloth mom Wilbur gave birth on January 23.

“We are so excited for Wilbur as she begins the adventure of motherhood. Wilbur has very strong and trusting relationships with her caregivers and our veterinary team. She voluntarily participates in regular health checks,” says Kelly Fad, the Zoo’s General Curator.

The Zoo explains they don’t know the newborn’s gender yet because of a sloth’s slow maturation process. It will take several more months to determine the sex of the baby. But he or she needs a name now.

So, the Palm Beach Zoo’s animal care team has come up with a few neutral names to choose from.

The choices are:

1- E.B., after E.B. White, the author of Charlette’s Web.

2- Charlie, an alternative “Charlie’s Webb.”

3-DJ, Dustin Junior, after the father, Dustin.

4-Fern, after the protagonist of Charlette’s Web.

5-Moss, because moss is often found on sloths in the wild.

Wild sloths thrive holding onto branches upside-down on trees in Central and South America’s tropical forests. They move at a rate of about 120 feet a day. They have an exceptionally low metabolic rate and sleep 15 to 20 hours a day. There are two different types of sloths, two-toed and three-toed,

New mom Wilber is a Hoffman’s twotoed sloth. She was born at Palm Beach Zoo 21 years ago, and her mate Dustin, who also lives at the Zoo, are part of a professional scientific breeding program referred to as a Species Survival Plan, which carefully manages the population of sloths in human care since their genetics could possibly contribute to wild populations in the future.

You can cast your vote to name the newborn boy or girl by commenting on the Zoo’s dedicated social media posts and/ or in person at the two-toed sloth habitat, right next to the koalas.

Voting will end on May 27, Memorial Day, and the winning name will be announced.

For more than 50 years, Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society has provided visitors with up-close and personal animal encounters inside 23 lush, tropical acres full of exotic animals. For more information, visit www.palmbeachzoo. org. ¦

PALM BEACH ZOO & CONSERVATION SOCIETY / COURTESY PHOTOS

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