Checking in with the sloth bear cubs

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Communications
Photos by Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo



If you haven’t visited the sloth bear cubs yet, make plans soon! Now seven months old, the twins are still small, but act double their size in their bold adventures.

Every log must be scaled, every grub must be snuffled out of its hiding spot, every tub of water must be splashed into, and every sibling battle must be fought for these two.

Brother and sister go about their lives nose-first, their sense of smell leading them on journeys big and small.

Sloth bears are the vacuum cleaners of the Asian forest—take a closer look at that snout and you’ll notice it’s designed for slurping up termites. The large gap in their front teeth (due to the absence of front upper incisors) means nothing gets in the way of vacuuming up a meal.

They can even close their nostrils on their flexible noses to prevent any bugs from crawling up the wrong way whenever they are snout-deep in a termite mound! And long claws help them dig into the protein goldmines.

The two are natural climbers and are getting better every day with practice. Visitors hold their breath as the cubs dangle and scramble from trees and ledges, but inevitably they stick the landing.

We’re just days away from officially naming the pair now that we have had the time to get to know their personalities and habits. We’ll be sure to share their names in our next update!

The cubs are out and about daily, so come see what’s new with them today!