National Zoo's Sloth Bear Gives Birth

National Zoo's Sloth Bear Gives Birth

The National Zoo's female sloth bear gave birth earlier this month to a cub.
Hana, 11, gave birth Jan. 9. Zoo officials have not examined the cub yet because they want to give the mother and cub time to bond.

This was Hana's third cub. She gave birth to two in December 2004, but both cubs died within four days of being born. The cub's father is 24-year-old Merlin.
Zoo officials said sloth bear cubs are very fragile and depend on their mothers during the first few years of their lives. They often stay in their dens until they are 2 or 3 months old and with their mothers for two or three years.

Sloth bears are known to live up to 40 years in captivity. It is not known how long they will live in the wild. They are listed as "vulnerable" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.