Animal alert: A sloth is back at Woodland Park Zoo
Aug 24, 2025, 5:30 AM
Woodland Park Zoo has welcomed a new sloth into its rainforest exhibit. (Photo: Jeremy Dwyer, Woodland Park Zoo via KIRO 7)
(Photo: Jeremy Dwyer, Woodland Park Zoo via KIRO 7)
Woodland Park Zoo welcomed another animal into its tropical rainforest aviary.
After five years, a new sloth has entered the villa.
Fezzik, named after the character in “The Princess Bride,” is a Hoffmann’s two-toed sloth, according to a news release from Woodland Park Zoo Thursday.
“We’re thrilled to bring a sloth species back to the zoo, and Fezzik is busy leisurely exploring and getting comfortable in his new home,” Shawn Pedersen, Animal Curator at Woodland Park Zoo, stated in the release. “Fezzik is sure to be a crowd pleaser with his calm and docile personality.”
Fezzik is 10 years old and arrived from the Milwaukee County Zoo. Two-toed sloths have an average lifespan of around 20 years, according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). However, there haven’t been many studies on sloths in their natural habitats. One sloth, ‘Miss C,’ lived until 43 years old in captivity.
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The importance of rainforest preservation
Sloths are slow-moving nocturnal animals found in Central and South America, Woodland Park Zoo noted. They spend most of their time hanging upside down in forest canopies with easy access to fruit, leaves, and flowers for snacking.
Their fur is home to various organisms, including microbes, insects, fungi, and algae. The algae help the animals blend in with their surroundings and hide from predators.
Most sloths are listed as “least concern” on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species, but their natural habitat is at risk of deforestation, according to WWF. As the rainforest shrinks, so do the homes of the tree-dwelling mammals.
Rainforest Foundation US lists several ways people can help preserve the area on its website, such as choosing a forest-friendly diet and using responsibly sourced products.
Find Fezzik in Woodland Park Zoo’s tropical rainforest aviary
Woodland Park Zoo visitors can find Fezzik in the tropical rainforest aviary along with dozens of exotic birds.
The zoo’s tropical rainforest exhibit houses an array of animals, including a jaguar, golden lion tamarin, gorilla, poison dart frog, toucan, yellow anaconda, tarantula, monkeys, and lemurs.
For more information, visit Woodland Park Zoo’s website.
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