Abilene Zoo welcomes Vicki the Sloth Bear - BigCountryHomepage.com

ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) - The Abilene Zoo is welcoming a new, rare creature to their collection - Vicki the Sloth Bear! Vicki is a 12-year-old female who is coming to Abilene for a temporary stay from the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute in Washington. She will be with the Abilene Zoo until their expansion project begins in Spring 2026. Read more information provided about Vicki by the Abilene Zoo below:Vicki brings a unique personality – she’s known to be sassy, smart and inquisitive. She’s gotpoufy hair with a part in the middle. Some of her favorite hobbies include playing with herenrichment toys and eating thousands of insects in one sitting. Like most sloth bears, sheprefers a solitary lifestyle, a trait typical of her species in the wild.Native to the forests of India, Sri Lanka, and Nepal, sloth bears are listed as “Vulnerable” by theInternational Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), with fewer than 20,000 remaining in thewild. Threatened by deforestation, habitat loss, and poaching, sloth bears are part of theAssociation of Zoos And Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plan. The SSP is a collaborativeprogram among AZA-accredited institutions focused on protecting at-risk species throughbreeding, research, and education.One of only about 30 sloth bears in AZA-accredited zoos in North America, Vicki brings animportant conservation story to Abilene. With their shaggy coats, curved claws, and vacuum-likesnouts, sloth bears are uniquely adapted to consume up to 50,000 ants or termites a day,playing a pivotal role in sustaining healthy forest ecosystems. Vicki and the other Abilene Zoo animals will be on display during zoo hours from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ever day during the summer.