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The National Zoo in Washington, D.C., is acting as a matchmaker for a pair of two-toed sloths. According to Smithsonian, the zoo welcomed a female sloth in December 2019 with the intention of pairing her with their resident male. If all goes well, this initiative will result in the first sloth birth at the zoo since 1984.
Athena, a 1.5-year-old sloth from the Ellen Trout Zoo in Lufkin, Texas, was introduced to the public at the National Zoo on December 22. She now shares the Small Mammal House with golden lion tamarins and a green aracari, a toucan species.
The zoo hopes Athena will form a breeding pair with Vlad, a 34-year-old sloth who has been at the National Zoo for many years. Previous attempts to mate Vlad with a female named Ms. Chips were unsuccessful, and no offspring were produced before her passing two years ago.
Building a bond between two sloths is a gradual endeavor. Before their formal introduction, Athena and Vlad familiarized themselves with each other's scents through blanket exchanges arranged by zoo staff. Their initial face-to-face meeting occurred through a mesh barrier. If they show signs of wanting to spend more time together, the zoo plans to house them in the same exhibit.
Even if the sloths develop a rapport, a new offspring won't be arriving soon. Female sloths achieve sexual maturity at age 3, meaning breeding efforts won't begin for another year and a half. The National Zoo notes that sloths are classified as of "least concern" in the wild, so the species' survival doesn't depend on Vlad and Athena's relationship. However, given the decades since the last sloth birth at the zoo, a new addition would be a celebrated event.
