Say Hello To The Newest Zoo Babies

We’re going wild for the sloth bear cub born in January at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. Located in the Wilderness Trek, you’ll find the youngster dangling from the back of its mom, 4-year-old Shiva. It’s the first sloth bear cub to be born in the zoo in 30 years. As of press time, the gender hasn’t been revealed. “We want the mom and the cub to be very tightly bonded before we pull it away for a health check,” says animal curator Travis Vineyard. Sloth bears have an appetite for insects, which they easily eat with their vacuum-like snouts. To catch a view of the un-bear-ably cute cub, Vineyard suggests arriving as early as possible. “It speaks to the protective nature of Shiva. The zoo’s quieter, there are less people around. It’s a safer environment for her to bring the cub out,” he says. 3900 Wildlife Way, Cleveland, 216-635-3200, clevelandmetroparks.com/zoo

More Babies To See: 

Black Howler Monkey
Born: Jan. 16
Location: Primates, Cats and Aquatics

White-Eared Titi Monkey
Born: March 8
Location: Primates, Cats and Aquatics

Giraffe
Born: April 15
Location: African Savanna