MANHATTAN (KSNT) – A new arrival at the Sunset Zoo is drawing attention and could play a big role in protecting a declining species.
Kartick, an eight-year-old sloth bear, arrived at Manhattan’s Sunset Zoo from the San Diego Zoo in December. He is now settling into his new environment and getting acquainted with a potential mate, Tess.
Zoo staff are taking a gradual approach to introducing the two bears. Keepers are starting with scent swapping before moving into more direct interactions, allowing both animals time to adjust.
“Sloth bear populations in the wild have been declining, unfortunately,” said zoo director Kaleigh Reyes. “And so one way that we can aid that process is their breeding in captivity. We hope, fingers crossed, that Kartik and Tess will really kick it off and we might have little babies here soon.”
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If successful, the pairing could result in cubs, helping boost the population of a vulnerable species.
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