Hey Jude!

Football fever is definitely gripping the zoo site as keepers have named our baby Linne’s two-toed sloth in honour of our local lad and England footballing ace, Jude Bellingham!

Huge thanks for all your name suggestions on our social media pages for our newest addition, with Jude proving a popular choice!

Primate Section Leader, Jodie Dryden, said: “Jude was an obvious moniker for our baby, who was born just before the start of the Euros, as we throw our local and national support behind Jude and the team ahead of Sunday’s final.

“Plus, as we don’t yet know the baby’s sex, as it’s still clinging tightly to mum, Jude is also a lovely unisex name and suits baby really well!”

Jude was born to mum, Flo and dad, Reggie on June 5 and is their third offspring.

Jodie added: “Both Flo and her newborn are doing really well. With it being her third baby in two years, she’s very experienced and her one year-old daughter, Zippy is taking a keen interest in her new brother or sister!”

Sloths give birth while hanging upside down, with the baby instinctively crawling on to mum’s stomach where it will remain for at least six months.

Native to the tropical forests of northern Southern America, Linne’s two-toed sloths are listed as least concern on the IUCN Red List. However, they are decreasing in number, as not only are they losing their habitat, but they’re also vulnerable to predators too.