Editor note: Attached digital images are provided by Woodland Park Zoo staff. Due to inadequate lighting in the maternal den, video footage cannot be taken.

SEATTLE - “What is it?” Given the very rare sightings and observations of sloth bear cubs in zoos and in the wild, it’s not an odd question. Woodland Park Zoo keepers have been fortunate enough to briefly get their hands on the zoo’s 42-day-old sloth bear cub. Mother sloth bears and cubs are typically ensconced in their zoo dens and unseen by staff until the cubs are at least a few months old.

Weigh-ins and visual examinations indicate the 5-pound cub, which may be a male, is faring very well and receiving excellent care from its first-time mother, Khali (call-lee). Mother and cub will remain off public view until warmer temperatures occur in the spring. Their viewing this spring will be weather-dependent. Zoo-goers may view the father at the bear grotto along the Trail of Adaptations.

The cub marks the first offspring between the 4-year-old mother and 6-year-old father Randy. And, it is the zoo’s first birth of the species in 20 years. According to zookeeper Pam Cox, “The cub is crawling. It is pulling forward with its front limbs and trying very hard to use its hind legs.” Staff estimates that within another couple of weeks or so, the cub should begin walking and grasping onto its mother. “We’re taking great care to minimize any human contact at the den,” notes Cox. “The cub appears to be nursing well and we want to ensure that the strong maternal bond continues.”

The birth for Woodland Park Zoo, a respected leader in wildlife conservation, bears significance for the species’ population. Fewer than 50 sloth bears exist in North American zoos due to a low number of proven breeders. In the wild, less than 10,000 remain. The endangered bear species, native to Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka, faces threats of habitat loss and the demand for bear parts used in traditional Asian medicines.

Winter hours at the 92-acre, award-winning zoo are 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. daily. Admission ranges from free for toddlers to $10.00 for adults. King County residents receive a discount and zoo members receive free admission year-round. For information, call 206.684.4800.