NOTE: To ensure the health of the new sloth bear cub, it will not be available for public viewing.

SEATTLE - Woodland Park Zoo is proud to announce the birth of an endangered sloth bear. The cub was born late in the evening on December 27. This birth is significant as it represents the first offspring between 4-year-old, mother Khali (call-LEE), and 6-year-old father Randy, and it is the first sloth bear birth in almost 20 years for Woodland Park Zoo.

“The captive sloth bear population has dwindled due to a lack of total bears and a low number of proven breeders — there were only 48 in captivity at the end of 2001. Therefore, reproduction is a major concern,” explains zoo Collection Manager Bret Sellers. In an attempt raise the captive population to more than 60 bears in the next few years, the sloth bear Species Survival Plan (SSP) made five breeding recommendations last year. They were hoping to produce 4 to 6 offspring in a just a year-and-a-half. “Woodland Park Zoo’s pair was one of those recommended for breeding because we are a leader in researching methods to increase reproduction in captivity,” said Sellers.

Plans have not been made for a neonatal exam because, as a first-time mother, zookeepers don’t want to disturb her and the cub. Khali has exhibited good maternal skills and is “a very good mother so far,” according to Senior Keeper Helen Shewman. “She is grooming and licking her cub and nuzzling it softly, allowing it to nurse.”

Newborn cubs are extremely tiny and blind at birth. Their eyes open about three weeks after birth, and they can walk at four weeks. Unlike other bear species, sloth bear mothers carry their cubs on their backs beginning at about 2 months. However, due to the cub’s current size and helplessness, it will remain off public view for a minimum of two to three months. Updates will be provided on our Web site at www.zoo.org. The male can be viewed in the sloth bear exhibit during zoo hours.

Fewer than 10,000 sloth bears remain in the wild. Their survival is challenged by fragmented populations, competition with other animals (particularly humans) for space and food, deforestation, and the demand for bear parts used in traditional Asian medicines. Although protection has improved for sloth bears, some Asian countries still allow them to be hunted and there is still an unrestricted trade of bear parts. Even in the U.S.A., some states allow the sale of bear parts taken through hunting. For all bears, their long-term survival requires large, remote and protected areas of habitat, together with the elimination of the bear parts trade.

The sloth bear SSP is among 35 SSPs that Woodland Park Zoo participates in, including the western lowland gorilla, Aruba Island rattlesnake, red-crowned crane, Sumatran tiger and orangutan. Under the auspices of the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA), the cooperative breeding programs work to ensure genetic diversity and demographic stability in North American zoos and aquariums. Additionally, SSPs involve a variety of other collaborative conservation activities such as research, public education, reintroduction and field projects. AZA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of zoos and aquariums in the areas of conservation, education, science, and recreation, with more than 205 zoos and aquariums as members.

Sloth bears have a long, rough and shaggy coat of thick, reddish-brown to black fur. Similar to other species of Asian bears, they have a white or yellow mark on their chest shaped like a U, V or Y. They are found in the lower elevations of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka. The unique bears consume massive amounts of insects, especially termites. Because termite and ant colonies are an abundant and consistent source of food for sloth bears in the wild, they are the only bear specifically adapted for feeding on insects. Sloth bears dig out insect mounds with their sharp, 3-inch long claws. Then, they blow away the dirt and debris with their long, mobile lips. Finally, with a huge breath, they suck out the termites. Since sloth bears lack their two front incisors and have a hollowed palate, they can quickly remove the insects like a high-powered vacuum. Sloth bears also love honey, and they will easily climb up into trees and hang from branches to raid honeycombs.

For more information about the zoo’s tigers and its conservation efforts, check out Woodland Park Zoo’s Web site at www.zoo.org. Zoo winter hours are 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. daily. For general zoo information, log on the zoo’s Web site or call 206.684.4800.