The cause is as yet unknown, as she showed no signs of illness whatsoever right up until the end.
As is standard practice for all zoo animals, she is now undergoing a veterinary examination to determine the cause of her sudden death.
Katrin was born at Dortmund Zoo in 2006 and had been living at Chemnitz Zoo since 2008. At 20 years of age, she had reached an age well below the life expectancy of two-toed sloths in human care, which can live to around 50 years in zoos. This is a great loss for the team of animal keepers, as a close bond had developed between humans and the animal over the many years.
During her time at Chemnitz Wildlife Park, Katrin gave birth to several young. However, as sloths are solitary animals, these were rehomed to other zoos. Through this breeding success, Chemnitz Wildlife Park made a valuable contribution to the conservation of this special species.
By housing the two-toed sloth, the zoo gave many visitors a first-hand insight into the lifestyle of this species and the importance of species conservation. Katrin the sloth helped to raise awareness of the threats facing the tropical rainforest and the consequences of ongoing rainforest destruction.
Opening hours:
Chemnitz Zoo
Daily 9 am to 7 pm
Oberrabenstein Wildlife Park
daily from 9 am to 6 pm