SAN ANTONIO – Two young sloths at San Antonio Zoo have been given permanent names after a public naming competition.
The sloth pups have been dubbed Luna, meaning moon, and Sol, which means Sun.
“Sol and Luna have really sparked the hearts of the community,” said Tim Morrow, President & CEO of San Antonio Zoo.
The Linnaeus’s two-fingered sloth pups live in the John & Greli Less Butterfly Rainforest exhibit, which recently opened at the zoo.
“We constantly strive to connect people with wildlife in meaningful ways, which makes the naming competition particularly special. We thank everyone for their support and invite you to visit Sol and Luna soon. Their home inside the John & Greli Less Butterfly Rainforest is truly spectacular,” said Morrow.
Zoo officials said Linnaeus’s two-fingered sloths are native to Central and South America and can sleep 15-20 hours a day.
They move slowly, are expert climbers and have thick fur that helps regulate body temperature with groves that allow algae to grow on their coats for camouflage.
Sol and Luna, both under one year, join Yavari, a 29-year-old Linnaeus’s two-fingered sloth, on the Animal Ambassador Team, a press release from the zoo states.
The team provides up-close experiences around the zoo and community and allows the ambassador team staff to educate the public while connecting and inspiring guests to secure a future for wildlife in Texas and worldwide.
Want to see Sol and Luna in person? Get tickets to the San Antonio Zoo or check out an upcoming locals day event where you can get discounted admission.
San Antonio Zoo is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week at 3903 N. St. Mary’s Street.