The Aviary’s sloths celebrated their birthdays with help from local families
The National Aviary on Pittsburgh’s North Side is home to all kinds of feathered and furry friends, including three Linnaeus’s two-toed sloths.
On Aug. 21, two of these remarkable creatures celebrated their birthdays. A sloth named Vivien turned 8 years old that day, and another sloth named Wookiee turned 25 on the following day. (Our friends at the Aviary mentioned that although Wookiee is now officially old enough to rent a car, his care team isn’t concerned: Sloths aren’t known to live life in the fast lane.)
We’re told that Vivien opted to spend much of her special day sleeping in her behind-the-scenes habitat, though she celebrated with some of her favorite nutritious treats from the Aviary’s staff. And in the Tropical Rainforest habitat, Wookiee partied with a sloth-friendly, balloon-shaped gift created by staff members. It was filled with some of his favorite treats including carrots, flowers, lettuce and sweet potatoes.
For local kids, the Tropical Rainforest habitat is a great place to see all the inhabitants in action during events like the birthday party or any time.
“Our animal care team is very intentional about fostering opportunities for our animals to engage in their natural behaviors and for guests to see them do so. Events like our Sloth Birthday Celebration allow us to continue to do so in a fun and festive way,” says Christa Gaus, senior manager of animal programs at the Aviary.
During the event, guests also had the opportunity to sign an oversized birthday card for Vivien and Wookiee, enjoy sloth-themed crafts, and take in special talks with Aviary experts.
The celebration ended with a visit from “resident artist” and fellow Linnaeus’s Two-toed Sloth, Valentino, who used his natural abilities to grasp objects, like a paint brush, to help celebrate his two friends. Valentino added his very own signature to Vivien and Wookiee’s birthday card using animal-safe paint in front of a crowd of nearly 300 kids and grownups.
“From Valentino using his natural abilities to paint a birthday card, to Wookiee foraging his balloon-shaped enrichment for food, guests got a ‘front row’ look at the natural behaviors this species exhibits,” Gaus says, “alongside the personalized care given to each unique sloth, without having to journey through the jungle to see it!”