Baby sloth born at Montreal Biodome

A baby sloth has becomethe newest resident atMontrealsBiodome.

The sloth was born December 17, which staffknow because theyhave set up a camera to film the mother every day.

On December 18, the mother emerged from her nest area with a baby on her belly.

"They're both doing well. On the footage that we have, we see the baby moving, and he seems quite alert. The mother is very smooth and caring, so we have a feeling this is going to go very well," said Biodome veterinarianEmiko Wong.

This is the mother sloths first baby and staff say she is taking good care of the little one.

The baby sloth will nurse for six months and will be an adult in about a year and a half.

"Every time there's a baby born at the Biodome, staff are happy, because for sure if the animals are completely stressed out, or if they have bad nutrition, we know they're not going to breed. It's telling us we're taking good care of them," said Wong.

Sloths raise babies carrying them on their belly. They stay on the belly for almost a full year, even when they're full-sized.

Wong says sloth dads are not in the picture.

The Biodome does not name its animals and the sex wont be known until it is an adult because sloth genitalia are inside their body.

Since 2002, another eight sloths have been born at the Biodome. Fiveof them have been transferred to other zoos.