Marking International Sloth Day, celebrated today, 21st October, we highlight the importance of protecting this remarkable species and its habitat.
At Terra Natura Benidorm, we are delighted to announce the birth of a two-toed sloth (Choloepus didactylus), who came into the world on 26th September. The newborn has been named Sibú, in honour of a deity revered by Indigenous peoples of the Americas, symbolising life and respect for nature.
The birth is the result of the bond between Pere and Charlie, a breeding pair that are part of Terra Natura Benidorm’s conservation programme for this species. Pere, aged six and a half, arrived at the park in 2021 from the Biodomo at the Science Park of Granada, while Charlie, who is just under four years old, joined us in 2023 from Herberstein Zoo in Austria.
After a gestation period of more than ten months, Charlie gave birth while hanging from the branches—just as she would in the wild. The young Sibú remains clinging to his mother’s chest, feeding slowly and steadily thanks to the sloth’s characteristic slow production of milk. Gradually, he is beginning to show curiosity about his surroundings and to explore solid foods, always under the watchful eye of his mother.
The birth took place in a facility designed to replicate the Amazon rainforest—a warm, humid environment with temperatures around 25 °C and humidity levels above 75%. Tropical birds, insects and small primates share this habitat, which is carefully maintained as a reptile- and amphibian-free zone to ensure the highest standards of welfare and safety for all its inhabitants.
The two-toed sloth is an arboreal and largely solitary mammal, renowned for its slow pace of life and ability to spend much of its time suspended from trees. Its leisurely movements are the result of a low metabolic rate and a leaf-based diet, allowing it to conserve energy and remain inconspicuous to predators. Remarkably, its fur hosts a microecosystem of algae, fungi and moths that depend entirely on the sloth for survival.
To mark International Sloth Day, celebrated today, 21st October, Terra Natura Benidorm wishes to underline the importance of protecting this species and its natural environment. Although the two-toed sloth is currently listed as Least Concern by the IUCN, threats such as deforestation, poaching and illegal trafficking continue to endanger its future.
At Terra Natura Benidorm, we are proud to be part of the European Endangered Species Programme (EEP), which promotes the conservation and maintenance of genetically healthy animal populations. This new birth represents another step forward in our commitment to species preservation and environmental education, strengthening our role as a space for learning, wellbeing and respect for the natural world.