Edinburgh Zoo names baby sloth after David Attenborough

One of the first baby sloths born in Britain has been named after Sir David Attenborough.

The baby two-toed sloth was born to parents Feira and Nico, just a week after Sir David turned 100.

Keepers at Edinburgh Zoo dubbed the baby Atty after the veteran broadcaster and environmentalist.

Atty is the first sloth ever born in Scotland. In 2017, Sir David told BBC News that if he had to be an animal for a day, he would undoubtedly be a sloth.

He said: ‘You know, hanging about upside down, you’ve nothing to do, in fact sleeping most of the time.’

For the first six months of his life, Atty will grip tightly to mum Feira’s stomach and will soon begin learning which leaves are safe to eat by sampling food directly from her mouth.

‘This is groundbreaking not just for Edinburgh Zoo, but for Scotland,’ said Jess Brown, head keeper.

‘Seeing a sloth baby clinging to mum for the very first time has been so special for the whole team, and we can’t wait for visitors to see little Atty.

‘He is already showing plenty of personality, and visitors might spot a tiny face peeking out from mum’s fur. Nico and Feira are both beautiful animals and a fan-favourite with our visitors, so we’re confident he’ll be a big hit.’

Mum and baby are currently resting in their enclosure at the zoo.

Edinburgh Zoo recently celebrated the first capybara birth in almost 20 years.

Keepers at the wildlife conservation charity are keeping a close eye on the ‘babybara’ as they are still quite vulnerable at this crucial point in their development.

Capybara babies, known as pups, weigh around 1.5 to 2.5kg when born, similar to the weight of a six-pack of Irn-Bru.

In the coming weeks, the pup will become more independent and spend time grazing.

Jonny Appleyard, animal keeper, said: ‘We are so proud of Luna and Rodney, they’re already doing an incredible job of looking after their new baby. They are such a beautiful species, and the babies are especially adorable!

‘The baby is slowly starting to get braver and explore, so you may well catch a glimpse of them, closely followed by mum. 

‘Capybara pups grow up quickly, so we recommend visiting the zoo soon if you want to see the new arrival at their cutest stage.’

The youngster will have their first health check in the coming weeks, at which point keepers will find out the gender and choose their name.

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