Still no sign of labor: Guests patiently waiting for baby sloth at Cincinnati Zoo
Guests and zoo workers are patiently waiting for a baby sloth to be born at the Cincinnati Zoo.
Lightning the sloth is pregnant, zoo officials announced in February. She's the live-in partner of Moe, a longtime resident of the zoo.
Moe, 21, and Lightning, 8, are both two-toed sloths. An ultrasound at the beginning of the year confirmed that Lightning is expecting.
Lightning became pregnant around October 2020, and gestation for a sloth is around 10 to 11 months. Lightning is expected to deliver her newborn sometime this fall. Like everything sloths do, growing a baby takes a long time.
This is the first sloth baby for the Cincinnati Zoo.
On Thursday, Cincinnati Zoo officials provided an update saying Lightning is doing well but is not showing any signs of labor yet. Since her birth window extends into October, guests and care team members may still be waiting a bit for the baby sloth's arrival.
Lightning has been practicing with a stuffed sloth so she's used to the sensation. The care team also removes the stuffed sloth so she can get used to them removing her baby for health checks.
Lightning came to the zoo in 2019 on a breeding recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan.
She joined Moe, who has been at the zoo since 2006.
Moe was orphaned in the wild. And being from the wild, his genetics are very valuable. Finally, after 15 years, Moe is going to be a father.
The courtship took a long time. It wasn’t love at first sight, but the pair warmed up to each other and couldn’t stay 6 feet apart during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In mid-July, the Cincinnati Zoo announced that the birth watch is on meaning volunteers will be watching Lightning on camera overnight to let her care team know if they see any signs of labor.
Lightning's keepers have already prepped and baby-proofed her habitat.
The care team will continue to monitor Lightning and will perform regular ultrasounds throughout her pregnancy.
On Aug. 4, the Cincinnati Zoo provided another update on Lightning's pregnancy saying the sloth's care team noticed that her baby has started to move lower in her abdomen and she has begun lactating a little.
According to the zoo, Lightning is in the final weeks of her 10-month gestation period.
The public has the chance to guess the date and time when you think the baby sloth will arrive. A winner who guesses the correct date and time will win a private Zoom call with Lightning and her new baby.
It costs $5 to make a guess. You can guess as many times as you'd like.
Funds raised will be used to care for the Cincinnati Zoo's sloths and to support our partners at The Sloth Institute in Costa Rica.
All guesses must be submitted by Sept. 30 at 11:59 p.m.