Hi Everyone, As an avid Zoo Goer I was very saddened to hear that at the Abilene, Texas Zoo - our beloved 2 Toed Sloth "Mocca" has recently passed away due to a gastro-intestinal issue. Is there anyone who can assist our Zoo in acquiring another Sloth? This is a very popular exhibit and an animal that the citizens of our small but vibrant city really cherish. The Zoo personnel may be looking currently, but as a concerned Zoo goer, I know our staff is not as large as some of the major zoo's and I want to be able to pass on the information to the correct parties. Or If you are aware of a Sloth that could use a great new home, you can contact them directly. [email protected] Thank You!
First of all, welcome to ZooChat. The Abilene Zoo is AZA accredited, which means they have standard methods of acquiring new animals from within the AZA. I realize you are a concerned zoo fan and miss one of your favorite animals. However, as a former volunteer myself at an AZA accredited zoo I would like to help educate you on why the zoo would likely not be interested in your help or that of ZooChat. Please understand I am NOT trying to be disrespectful to your position, I am just trying to help you understand how the system works. I can guarantee the zoo staff are much more capable of locating a sloth than any regular zoo member of ZooChat member. The zoo curator is the one responsible for animal acquisitions and he or she will have a network of connections. As a general rule (with some exceptions) AZA accredited zoos only trade animals within the AZA. If there are sloths in non-accredited facilities (and there are very few) they may not want to take them even if you did locate one for them. Also they may not be interested in replacing the sloth, as zoo lineups change. If you did miraculously locate an available sloth and inform zoo staff, my guess is they would very politely tell you that they are handling it and do not need your help. I do not mean to be negative, I am just telling you this is how the system works.
Thank you so much for the reply! That was very informative and educational on the process. It is true that I am just a huge fan of the sloth and would visit it often. I hope the line up doesn't change! Again I appreciate you taking the time out to fill me in on many things I was unaware of. I will just cross my fingers they get one!
