SEATTLE - During a morning routine check today, Woodland Park Zoo keepers found its 42-day-old sloth bear cub dead in its off-view maternity den. The preliminary cause of death is trauma to the body. Animal health staff will perform a necropsy this afternoon. The cub, believed to be a male, was the first offspring between first-time mother, 4-year-old mother Khali (call-lee), and 6-year-old father Randy. It was the first birth of the endangered species at the zoo in 20 years.

Given the rarity of sloth bear births in zoos, very little is known about cubs. “We took every precaution necessary to allow the mother to care for her infant without human intervention,” noted the zoo’s Deputy Director Bruce Bohmke. “Our protocol called for isolating the mother and cub with a hands-off approach,” added Bohmke. Just a few weeks ago, two bear keepers began weekly weigh-ins of the infant. Because the mother was only comfortable with the bear keepers, the zoo’s protocol deferred any full medical check-up.

“The zoo’s staff and volunteers are very sad about the death,” explained zoo Senior Veterinarian Dr. Janis Joslin. “But the keepers should commend themselves for the excellent care they provided the mother and the progress the cub was making.” The data on sloth bears in zoos and in the wild is very scarce. “We were collecting as much data possible from every zoo in North America who bred sloth bears,” said Joslin. “One telling factor among zoos is a remarkably high infanticide rate for first-time mothers.” Up to this point, “Khali was showing excellent maternal care, particularly for a first-time mom,” Joslin remarked.

Woodland Park Zoo is a highly respected leader in wildlife conservation and the cub represented a significant birth for the species’ population. “We remain optimistic about breeding our pair of adults in the near future,” noted Bohmke, “and we are confident that the mother’s brief experience in raising a cub will prove valuable for any future births.”

In the wild, less than 10,000 sloth bears 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. For more information about sloth bears and the 92-acre, award-winning zoo, call 206-684-4800.