Sloths are arboreal folivores — tree-dwelling animals that eat mostly “buds, tender shoots, and leaves, mainly of Cecropia trees.” They are well-known for moving slowly, and are native to Central and South America.
But there’s one who lives at the National Aquarium, and it needs a name!
In honor of International Sloth Day on October 20, National Aquarium will launch a naming contest for the Linne’s two-toed sloth born in Baltimore in late August (2012). The newest addition to the Upland Tropical Rain Forest and the first born to Ivy, one of the four sloths in the exhibit, is the third sloth born at National Aquarium, Baltimore.
The public is invited to visit www.aqua.org/slothcontest between now and November 1 to submit name suggestions. A panel of National Aquarium staff will review and consider all entries. Then, from November 2 to 15, the public can vote on one of four names selected by the panel. The winning name will be announced on the morning of November 16.
More information here!
via @popsci.
The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Kenya is a small charity that works for the conservation of elephants and the highly endangered Black Rhino. The Trust specializes in taking care of the babies that are orphaned through poaching.
This is the story of Kinango, one of their new baby elephants:
At around 4pm on the 11th August a call was received about a tiny newborn elephant calf discovered by KWS personnel in the Kwale area outside of the Shimba Hills National Park. The elephant calf was stranded, hungry and visibly stressed when it was first found walking along the Kwale-Kinango road near the Mwadabawa junction, later seeking comfort under an abandoned truck which obviously felt like Mum.
Originally because he was so tiny it was thought he was new born and a plasma drip was administered to this vulnerable male calf in an attempt to ensure his immune system was boosted, but now that a few weeks on he has begun to teeth is would suggest that he was between 3 – 4 weeks on arrival.
Despite being an incredibly vulnerable newborn calf, Kinango as he has since been named, has been taking his milk with enthusiasm from his keepers and is very much a treasured and precious part of the Nairobi Orphan’s group, pampered by all the older elephants.
We also loved the story of young Balguda, who arrived at the Trust’s Nairobi Nursury into what seemed like hugs and warm welcomes from other young elephants.
via @jenbee.
What is a tawny frogmouth? The Brookfield Zoo in Chicago welcomed two tawny frogmouth chicks in early July, 2012.
For reasons unknown, the parents, Eunice, who is on loan from Riverbanks Zoo in South Carolina, and Gullet, who is from Sea World Orlando, abandoned the nest about halfway during the incubation period. To give the unborn chicks a chance at life, staff pulled the eggs and placed them in an incubator. Once they hatched, they received round-the-clock care. Now at 3 1/2 weeks old, they have grown, are eating well, and appear to have a bright future ahead of them.
Tawny Frogmouths are native to Australia, Tasmania and southern New Guinea. They are not owls, but they do often pretend to be tree branches.
