What: Zoo's new baby Hoffman's two-toed sloth makes slow public debut, new Douc Langur is introduced as well.
Details: There's a new baby at the Philadelphia Zoo! Born to parents Charlotte and Argyle, a new Hoffman's two-toed sloth is making its public debut. This birth is the first from this pair in 7 1/2 years and Charlotte is among the oldest sloths to reproduce. The baby, whose sex is not yet known, can be seen hanging onto mom's belly in their Small Mammal House exhibit.
Also making her debut is the Zoo's new female douc langur, Toi. Toi came from the San Diego Zoo and joins the Zoo's other two douc langurs, Qui Tu and Isabeau, in their Rare Animal Conservation Center exhibit. Toi's recent move here means the Philadelphia Zoo is the only zoo in the Western Hemisphere to exhibit this species. Douc langurs are endangered due to habitat destruction and poaching. Through their cell phone recycling program, the Zoo's Docent Council supports the Endangered Primate Rescue Center in Vietnam which is dedicated to rehabilitation, breeding, research, and conservation of douc langurs and other Vietnamese primates, and to the protection of their habitats.
Philadelphia Zoo, America's first zoo, is celebrating the 150th anniversary of its founding. Chartered by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on March 21, 1859, the Zoo is currently home to over 1,300 animals from around the world, many rare and endangered. Welcoming more than one million visitors each year from throughout the region and beyond, the Zoo serves children and families as a unique and engaging public resource for wildlife conservation and education. The Philadelphia Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. For more information or to purchase and print tickets online, visit www.philadelphiazoo.org.
