St. Louis Zoo Visitors Were Shocked When a Sloth Gave Birth in an Exhibit
Nobody knew the sloth was expecting.
Published April 9 2025, 2:11 p.m. ET
Visitors at Como Park Zoo & Conservatory were treated to a once in a lifetime experience when a sloth surprised everyone by giving birth at the St. Louis area zoo.
The 6-year-old had apparently kept her pregnancy under wraps, and not even the zookeepers tasked with caring for her had any inkling that she was expecting.
Learn more about the surprise birth, including what experts say will happen to the new baby now that they've made their grand entrance. Spoiler alert: it involves plenty of bonding time for the proud new mama and papa!
A sloth unexpectedly gave birth at a St. Louis area zoo.
The Como Park Zoo & Conservatory shared the happy news with the world, revealing that Sago, a 6-year-old two-toed sloth, had given birth on April 2, 2025.
The delivery went off without a hitch, and happened as park guests gathered around the exhibit where Sago had been hanging from a tree branch. According to staff, nobody knew that Sago was pregnant at the time.
However, they are confident that Ziggy, a 3-year-old two-toed sloth is the father of the baby.
The excitement could be felt throughout the zoo, with Jill Erzar, senior zookeeper, making a statement about what happened.
“We couldn’t have planned a more exciting experience for our guests yesterday," she wrote in a statement. "It’s not every day you get to see a sloth being born right in front of you. It was a truly special moment, and Sago is already proving to be a fantastic first-time mom.”
Is the new baby sloth at the Como Park Zoo & Conservatory a boy or a girl?
Zookeepers and guests are in for another surprise, since nobody knows yet whether Sago and Ziggy welcomed a sweet little girl, or a bouncing baby boy. And, it sounds like that secret will also remain under wraps for a while, since the zoo seems intent on letting the new parents bond before they interfere at all.
“Right now, we’re just enjoying watching the baby bond with Sago,” Erzar wrote in a statement on the zoo's website. “It will be a while before we know if we have a little boy or girl, but for now, we’re focused on making sure both mom and baby are thriving.”
Can you visit the new sloth baby at the zoo?
Because they don't intend to handle the new family anytime soon, Sago, Ziggy, and their new little one will remain in the exhibit where they currently live. As such, visitors may be able to get a glimpse of the new family of three when they come through the Primate Building that these sloths currently call home.
Of course, GreenMatters does not want to encourage visitors to run out to see the newborn, since zoos are notoriously not the best setting for wild animals.
Instead, these creatures are best viewed from a distance in their wild habitats, or else by reading about them on the pages of a book.
That being said, we do want to wish Sago, Ziggy, and their new baby well. Hopefully mom and baby continue to recover well!