Sloths at a popular zoo in Wales are aging in place thanks to a brand new “retirement home.”
Folly Farm residents Tuppee, 26, and Lightcap, 36, recently moved into a purpose-built home for older sloths that was built during the COVID-19 lockdown.
Sloth Forest features biomass heating, soft flooring and extra places to snooze, according to the zoo’s website.
“Like us humans, sloths are prone to aching muscles and creaking joints as they get older,” the zoo’s sloth keeper, Becky Dyson, posted on the website. “Our new sloth retirement home has lots of warmth, cozy places to cuddle up and plenty of humidity. The new flooring is made out of cocoa fiber soil which is nice and soft when they come down from the trees.
“We kept their branches close together, so it’s easy for them to climb around and explore their new home and put in a sprinkling system, which keeps things nice and humid for them,” Dyson wrote.
Sloths spend 15 to 20 hours a day sleeping.
The zoo shared video of the sloths on May 24.
(Edited by Judith Isacoff and Fern Siegel)
