Mark the calendar for World Sloth Day and a celebration of Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s Hoffmann’s two-toed sloths on Sat., Oct. 19. That’s when Scutes Family Gallery and The Loft keepers will host special sloth meet-and-greets and other sloth-inspired activities. The Zoo will close early at 3 p.m. to prepare for Boo at the Zoo, but guests can enjoy a memorable morning and afternoon with Bosco, Aysan and Bean.
Bosco, the gentleman of the group, is Aysan’s companion in Scutes Family Gallery. He’s also Bean’s dad. Bosco is 32 years old, and although he’s slowing down in his old age, he has always been a model of patience. Bosco is known for his considerate nature, typically waiting for his female companion to finish her training sessions with keepers before joining in.
“Bosco is just the best,” Amber Callen-Ward, lead keeper in Scutes Family Gallery, says. “When we ask them to come down for a voluntary husbandry training session, you’ll see him watching Aysan decide if and when she’ll join us. If she doesn’t come down, he’ll make his way over to us. If she moves to us quickly, he watches and waits until she’s finished training and then comes over.”
At 9 years old, Aysan is a very confident sloth. She’s quick to approach and interact with people and has mastered training sessions, including important behaviors like nail trims, targeting in specific locations, voluntary injections and even ultrasound training.
“Aysan is a really fast learner and just fast, in general,” says Amber. “She is comfortable in her environment and she knows she’s in control. We’ve been working on ultrasound and x-ray behaviors that will allow Aysan to voluntarily participate in her health care. Even cold-to-the-touch ultrasound gel does not faze her during training.”
Aysan and Bosco live in the atrium in Scutes Family Gallery, and Bosco’s daughter, Bean, lives just down the walkway, in The Loft. Bosco has darker markings than Aysan and Bean, who have similar light brown and blonde coloration. They all like fruit and vegetables. Bean, just like her dad, prefers less-sweet snacks, like cucumber and sweet potato. Aysan likes grapes, peaches and pears best.
The youngest and most mischievous of the bunch, 5-year-old Bean, is known for her curiosity, intelligence and food motivation. Bean, who was born at CMZoo in 2019, is a favorite among visitors – proven by her status as the top-requested encounter animal in The Loft.
“She’s almost always up for an encounter, and she is surprisingly quick when she’s motivated by her favorite snacks,” Jackie Watson, senior animal keeper in The Loft, says. “She has access to a huge rope and rafter system in The Loft, so make sure you look up next time you visit. She’s probably right above your head!”
While sloths are undeniably adorable, their ‘cute and cuddly’ reputations can be problematic. It’s crucial to practice ethical tourism when visiting sloths’ native homes.
“It’s important not to hold them,” Jackie says. “Sloth-holding opportunities are becoming increasingly popular. The people offering them might have good intentions and talk about conservation, but they sometimes don’t have the knowledge to do these types of encounters and consider the choices of the animals in their care.”
Sloths that live in reputable and accredited organizations in human care were once considered untrainable because of their ‘slow’ reputations. CMZoo’s three sloths buck those outdated views daily, especially Bean. Having mastered crate, target, x-ray, and injection training (she also paints from time to time), Bean is moving on to voluntary blood draw training.
“Bean has shown us consistently that she’s capable of more,” says Jackie. “We’re working on training her to hold onto a stick and then keep her arm still for blood draws, which is a significant ask. We respect their autonomy and build relationships based on trust and positive reinforcement. We’re taking it slowly (no sloth pun intended), and I really believe Bean could make history with this training. She’s already helping sloth caretakers advocate for voluntary training and husbandry care for sloths by showing what she has learned.”
Don’t miss the chance to celebrate and learn about these fascinating creatures at World Sloth Day. All activities will be available in Scutes Family Gallery and The Loft on Sat., Oct. 19 from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., including two special demonstrations:
- 10:30 a.m. Keeper Talk and Meet-and-Greet with Bosco and Aysan in Scutes Family Gallery
- 2 p.m. Meet-and Greet with Bean in The Loft
Advance daytime admission is required and available at cmzoo.org. On World Sloth Day (and on all days CMZoo is hosting Boo at the Zoo), the Zoo will close for daytime admission at 3 p.m. The Zoo reopens for Boo at the Zoo at 4 p.m. Boo at the Zoo requires separate admission. Details are available at cmzoo.org/boo.