Detroit Zoo unveils its newest resident, a 3-year-old sloth bear named Jagger

By Eric Henderson

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    DETROIT, Michigan (WWJ) — The Detroit Zoo hopes that upcoming visitors take a moment to welcome the newest resident at their facility, a 3-year-old sloth bear.

The zoo shared photos of the sloth bear, named Jagger, on Facebook Wednesday afternoon, after using the platform to tease out that they were preparing to welcome back the species after an absence.

Calling Jagger the “first of her kind at the Detroit Zoo in decades,” zoo officials said that she’ll spend the next few days getting acclimated behind the scenes before making her way outdoors “in the next week.”

According to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, there are believed to only be around 20,000 sloth bears in the world. The International Union for Conservation of Nature rates them “vulnerable” on their list of endangered species.

They generally hail in the areas of India, Sri Lanka and southern Nepal, the Smithsonian says.

The Detroit Zoo used Jagger’s arrival to ask for donations they say “can directly impact Jagger’s life as she settles into her new habitat,” adding “items like a wobble chair, a food ball and more that will enhance her new habitat and promote her well-being through interactive play.” The zoo touted a match of up to $5,000 from the Jeffrey Farber Family Foundation.

While they’re different species, Jagger’s arrival could help animal lovers cope with the loss earlier this year of the grizzly bear Mike, who was euthanized after months of health complications this summer.

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