The cub, born Jan. 14, is the first sloth bear to be born at the zoo since 1989, according to a news release. The Cleveland zoo has been at the same location since 1907.
It is the offspring of Shiva, a 4-year-old female, and Balawatt, a 13-year-old male, WEWS reported.
We could *bearly* wait to share the news! The Zoo welcomes spring’s arrival — the birth of a #slothbear cub! The cub is the first sloth bear born at the Zoo in 30 years. Stay tuned for continued updates on the sloth bear family! https://t.co/Omn8Slsabn 🐻 #firstdayofspring pic.twitter.com/fe2sKNgoOl
— Cleveland Zoo (@clemetzoo) March 20, 2019
It is the first cub for both parents, zoo officials said.
The gender of the cub, which weighs approximately 6 pounds, has not yet been determined, WEWS reported. Sloth bears can weigh up to 600 pounds when fully grown.
The zoo is partnering with a project in Nepal to support sloth bears according to the news release from the park. The population of the species has declined in recent decades because of poaching, habitat loss and conflicts with humans, the television station reported.
Zoo officials said they would eventually have a contest to name the cub, WJW reported.
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