Step aside Moo Deng and Pesto… there’s a new zoo baby in town! On August 9, 2024, Zoo Atlanta welcomed an adorable baby sloth into the world! Since then, Atlantans have been eagerly waiting for the next announcement: his name!
What is Zoo Atlanta’s baby sloth’s name?
Don’t worry, we won’t make you keep scrolling! The new baby’s name is Rolo! The zoo said they wanted to keep Rolo’s name on theme with his sweet-treat named parents: Nutella and Cocoa! They chose this name from more than 2,000 submissions sent in by the public from October 24th through November 1st!
Zoo Atlanta also notes,
Rolo’s name also highlights Zoo Atlanta’s conservation commitment to supporting companies using only sustainable palm oil in candies and other products. Zoo Atlanta is one of only a small number of zoos to pursue and attain membership in the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil™ (RSPO). The Zoo and many other accredited zoos are vocal advocates for encouraging the use of only sustainable palm oil, supporting only companies who use sustainably produced oil, celebrating corporations making the switch to sustainable, and raising public awareness of the necessity for informed shopping.
About Rolo
Rolo is officially the first-ever male sloth born at Zoo Atlanta. On top of that, Rolo is only the second offspring of Nutella, his mother, and Cocoa, his father!
Rolo is a Hoffmann’s two-toed sloth, which is a type of sloth found in Central and South America. While not technically endangered, there are still many threats to two-toed sloths in the wild.
Zoo Atlanta says,
Learn more about Zoo Atlanta on their website here!Hoffmann’s two-toed sloths face mounting threats in the wild. In addition to challenges such as habitat loss for illegal logging, hundreds of sloths are electrocuted each year while attempting to use power lines to travel among fragmented forest patches. Based in Costa Rica, the Sloth Conservation Project, which works to rescue, rehabilitate, and release wild sloths impacted by deforestation and power line injuries, is a program that has been supported by Zoo Atlanta’s Conservation Fund.
So come say hi to the sweetest new baby at Zoo Atlanta: Rolo! And if you do end up snapping a pic of this sun-loving baby, make sure to tag us on Instagram @secret_atlanta, and we might just repost you!