Community Corner
Another Baby Sloth Born at Pet Safari
For the second time this year, a baby sloth was born at Pet Safari, which is very rare.
For the second time in eight months, has a new addition to its home.
The Main Street pet shop has yet another newborn two-toed sloth.
The infant sloth's mother is “Blondie,” one of the three adult sloths at Larry Lipke's shop. A second adult, also a female, known as "Baby" — yes, this can get confusing — in March. This event was of "Anderson," hosted by Anderson Cooper. The video can be viewed here.
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Lipke suspected Blondie was with child and had a veterinarian examine her recently. The vet told Lipke, no, Blondie is not pregnant, X-Rays show just gas.
Then last week, when Lipke was caring for the sloths, he found Blondie with her baby. He said the sloth was born Oct. 18 at 7:45 p.m.
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This is the third sloth born at Pet Safari.
"We didn't have the sloths to breed them," Lipke said. "We have them for educational purposes."
Lipke has various educational formats to demonstrate how destroying natural habitat can affect wildlife and the sloths are featured in these. Lipke's sloths came to Pet Safari after their rain forest habitat was destroyed.
The sloths are herbivores native to South America’s northern rainforests. The creatures sort of look like a cross between a koala bear, a seal and a monkey. They are friendly, furry animals who move very slow.
The other adult sloth Lipke has is a male known as "Scarface." The two baby sloths are not yet named.
The first infant sloth born at Pet Safari three and a half years ago found a home in New Port Richey. Lipke was quick to point out that sloths breeding in captivity are rare.
"They won't breed in captivity unless they are happy," Lipke said.
Whatever money Lipke would receive from selling the young sloths would go to pay for the upkeep of the adults, which Lipke said is pricey.
The sloths generally eat leafy things such as romaine lettuce. They will also eat broccoli and squash, and for treats, Lipke offers the creatures apples and plums, which he said they love.
"We try to feed them an apple a day," Lipke said. "We try to mimic what they would eat in their natural habitat."
