ABILENE, Texas — The Abilene Zoo announced the debut of Marvin, a 10-year-old two-toed male sloth from the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Marvin arrived in October and is moving into his new home in the Caribbean Cove exhibit this weekend after a 30-day quarantine.
He is a Linnaeus’s sloth, showcased by his darker coloring and larger size. Unable to walk, sloths are tree dwellers and make their home in the rainforests of South America. Linnaeus’s sloths are nocturnal and often sleep up to 18 hours each day.
Sloths are not currently endangered, but they are being slowly pushed out of the wild and into protected animal reserves as their habitat continues to disappear because of deforestation.
As part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA) Species Survival Plan, Marvin was recommended to join Sadie, Abilene Zoo’s existing sloth, for breeding purposes. The goal is to have Marvin join the Zoo’s Up-Close Tour program.
Abilene Zoo’s curator, Robert Trejo said, “Our keepers will work with Marvin to build his relationships with humans so that one day in the future guests will be able to meet him up-close, just like they can meet Sadie now. Marvin will serve as an ambassador for his species and will allow us to continue to learn about and preserve sloths for future generations.”
The zoo is closed for Thanksgiving Thursday, Nov. 23 and will return to normal hours Friday, Nov. 24. Guests will be able to view Marvin in the Caribbean Cove exhibit this weekend.
To purchase tickets visit abilenezoo.org.
