Zoo staff 'heartbroken' after sloth dies

Terry moved to Jersey from London Zoo in 2022

A much-loved sloth at Jersey Zoo has died suddenly, keepers said.

They said a post-mortem examination on Terry, a female Linne's two-toed sloth, found she had a piece of food lodged in her airway but further results were pending.

The zoo said staff were "heartbroken at the sudden and unexpected death".

Terry had a 10-month-old daughter, Jemma, who was being monitored by her keepers to ensure she could adjust to life without her mother.

The sloth house would be closed until further notice, staff said.

Terry moved to Jersey from London Zoo in 2022 as part of a European breeding programme.

Her partner Rio arrived from Bristol Zoo and died aged 23 earlier this year after the birth of their daughter.

Sloths live in lowland tropical forests in the wild and spent up to 15 hours a day sleeping and the rest of the day eating, the zoo said.