Help name Bristol Zoo Gardens’ new infant sloth

People are being given the chance to help choose a name for the first sloth to be born at Bristol Zoo Gardens in almost 10 years.

The infant sloth was born seven weeks ago to eight-year-old mum Trixie and 19-year-old Rio but keepers do not yet know if it is a male of female as it still clings tightly to its mother.

A shortlist of three names has been drawn up from around 200 submitted by Zoo members, and voting has now opened for people to choose their favourite on the Zoo’s Facebook page. 

The choices are: 

• Noco, short for Orinoco, which is a river running through the sloth's homeland in South America. This name also continues the river theme as the infant’s father is named after the Rio Grande.
• The second is Solana, a Spanish name meaning ‘sunshine'. 
• The third is Flash, meaning 'bright light', as well as being the name of the sloth in the Zootopia film.

To vote simply go to www.facebook.com/BristolZooGardens/ Voting is open from Monday May 10 until Sunday May 16.

Dagmar Smeed, Head of Marketing and Communications at Bristol Zoo Gardens, said: “This new arrival really has captured the hearts of people everywhere.

“From the day we announced its birth there have been thousands of messages posted on social media. So we thought it would be lovely if people could help choose a name.”

Alan Toyne, Mammal Team Leader at Bristol Zoo Gardens, said: “The youngster is doing really well and developing as well as we could hope for. It is very alert, growing quickly and is already tucking into solid food, including sweetcorn.

“It’s great that so many people have been thrilled by this little sloth. Its birth is important because it helps to maintain the sloth population and to ensure its future.”

It is unclear how many two-toed sloths there are in the world but the International Union for Conservation of Nature states that their numbers are declining, mainly due to loss of their rainforest habitat. 

Because they move so slowly, they are often unable to escape if an area of forest is felled for agriculture or timber. They are also hunted in Brazil for their meat.

Bristol Zoo Gardens is now home to three sloths, Rio, Trixie and their infant, and is part of a European zoo co-ordinated breeding programme for Linne’s two-toed sloths.

It is possible to adopt Trixie the sloth, who lives with her infant and Rio in an exhibit next to the Zoo shop. Just go to bristolzoo.org.uk/visitor-information/animal-adoptions/adopt-trixie-the-two-toed-sloth

Wild Place Project and Bristol Zoo Gardens are run by Bristol Zoological Society which is a conservation and education charity and relies on the generous support of the public not only to fund its important work at both zoos, but also its vital education and community outreach programme.

In March last year the Society launched the BZS Appeal to ensure the future of its work ‘saving wildlife together’ following the temporary closure of both its sites in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

As school groups can now be welcomed back, donations from the appeal fund will support the Education Bursary Fund to ensure schools and youth groups in disadvantaged areas are able to benefit from visiting Bristol Zoo Gardens and Wild Place Project.

To find out more, or to make a donation, visit https://bristolzoo.org.uk/bzsappeal