Snoozing on the job: meet Mr Sloth, wildlife centre's sleepy new favourite

The chilled-out creature (picture) has moved into the Tropical Butterfly House, Wildlife and Falconry Centre at North Anston and, as is the reputation of his species, settling in slowly.

The centre is now running a competition to name him properly.

And there’s a high standard to be set, as Facebook followers came up with the impressive Holly Wallaby for a popular marsupial newcomer last summer.

The only sloth in South Yorkshire, Mr Sloth was born in Amsterdam and has been living in Hamerton Zoo, Cambridgeshire for the last 18 years, where he picked up his rather formal title.

The 29-year-old male Linnaeus’s two-toed sloth lives in the heights of the butterfly house, where his neighbours include butterflies, lorikeets and turtles. 

A sloth’s low-energy diet means they conserve energy by moving very slowly and deliberately and can snooze for anything up to 20 hours a day. 

In the wild, sloths only come down from the trees to defacate twice a month, although a fuller diet in Rotherham, including leaves and parnsips, could see him returning to the ground more often.

Sloths are native to South America and are unique in the animal world for spending most of their time upside down. 

They are solitary creatures and can live up to 50 years in captivity and although they are not endangered, there is a decrease in numbers in the wild, mainly down to the destruction of their natural habitat.

Animal team leader Abigail Carter part of the team who undertook the two-hour journey to bring Mr Sloth to the park, said: “Like the cliché says, our sloth slept all the way to his new home! 

“Having him here at the wildlife park is such a fantastic move forward for us and I have no doubt he will be very popular.

“It not only gives us the chance to educate the public on these incredible animals the opportunity to highlight the effects of deforestation to sloths and other animals around the world.  

“I always find people feel more connected and more likely to listen about conservation issues when they can experience the animals in person.”

The North Anston park first enquired about their new guest, seven years ago, and wildlife park manager Andrew Reeve revealed staff have been trained before his arrival on caring for a sloth.

“He will however continue to surprise us as we learn more about his behaviour and daily routines,” he said.

“We're delighted that due to the dedication and perseverance of the animal team, our newest arrival will bring joy to all our visitors.”

Meanwhile, the naming competition is being run through the Tropical Butterfly House, Wildlife and Falconry Centre Facebook page and the @TropButterfly Twitter feed until February 14.

You can also email your suggestion to [email protected].

A sloth-inspired discovery trail and a ranger talk are also being organised during half-term so visitors can find out more about the snoozy species.