(COLORADO SPRINGS) — The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo (CMZoo) has announced a new arrival just in time for the new year: a baby Hoffman’s two-toed sloth born to 9-year-old Aysan on Wednesday, Dec. 18.

Baby sloths are sometimes called “pups,” “infants,” or even “slow-bies,” but this one can definitely be called “adorable,” with its dark brown eyes and pinkish-brown furless face. The baby seems strong and has been learning to crawl around with its furry long limbs on Aysan’s tummy as she hangs upside down.

Courtesy: Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

“I love the way it lifts its head out of her chest fur and slowly looks around, just kind of taking it all in,” said Amber Callen-Ward, lead keeper in Scutes Family Gallery. “Aysan has been a great first-time mom, grooming the baby by licking its face, which is so sweet. She and the baby have been bonding well. The baby is nursing, clinging to her and taking little bites of solid foods we offer.”

The baby is now two weeks old on New Year’s Eve and is already trying pieces of plantain, romaine lettuce, zucchini and cucumber, but still gets its main nutrients from nursing.

Aysan’s care team was aware she was pregnant and thanks to the trust between Aysan and the team, she voluntarily participated in her own healthcare, allowing them to monitor the baby’s development with ultrasounds and x-rays for the past few months.

Aysan came to CMZoo in June 2023, with hopes that she would breed with Bosco, a 32-year-old male Hoffman’s two-toed sloth, on the recommendation of Hoffmann’s Two-Toed Sloth Species Survival Plan. Bosco is now a second-time dad with this baby after his first daughter, 5-year-old Bean, who lives in The Loft at CMZoo.

While mom and baby bond for the first month, they will be kept in a quiet place behind the scenes in the Scutes Family Gallery. CMZoo will announce when they are made visible to guests. The baby’s sex has not yet been identified, and there are no plans for a name yet, but CMZoo will give sloth pup-dates on their social media page, linked above.