Meet the Jersey Shore\u2019s newest resident \u2013 his name is Wally, and he fits in just fine! He lives right off the beach, sleeps most of the day and stays in the warmth all the time.<\/p>\n
Wally is a two-toed sloth who arrived at Jenkinson\u2019s Aquarium in Point Pleasant Beach in May. He\u2019s made a few public appearances, but the animal care staff at the aquarium is slowly making sure he gets used to humans. Eventually, he\u2019ll have his own special area in the aquarium and will tour local schools and events to promote rainforest protection.<\/p>\n
Wally, who is two years old, came to Jenkinson\u2019s Aquarium from a zoo in Minnesota. And once he\u2019s acclamated to his new environment, he\u2019ll begin a special mission here at the Jersey Shore. While sloths are not endangered themselves, their habitat is threatened, said Carlo DiMicco, mammals manager at Jenkinson\u2019s Aquarium. The very fact that sloths live most of their lives upside-down mean they need trees in which to live. The \u201ctoes\u201d on the two-toed sloth serve dual purposes.<\/p>\n
\u201cTheir claws are mainly used to hang onto things,\u201d said DiMicco, including food as well as branches. Their claws \u201clock\u201d in place so they do not need to expend muscle power to keep hanging. In the wild, he said, there have been cases where elderly sloths have died while still latched onto trees. The claws are also involved in self-defense, though not in the way many would think. Instead of being used for fighting, wrapping themselves around a tree branch allows a sloth to blend in with the trees and fool animals who may want to cause them harm.<\/p>\n
Many sloths in captivity have been named Flash or Chewbacca after movie portrayals. Flash was preferred name at first, but to be different, Jenkinson\u2019s staff went in a slightly different direction.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe named him Wally after Wally West,\u201d said DiMicco, after the first \u201cKid Flash\u201d in the DC Comics series.<\/p>\n
The aquarium is currently setting up a special area on its top floor where Wally will spend most of days hanging around and, of course, taking naps. For now, he\u2019s staying in a makeshift jungle in the aquarium\u2019s basement, complete with his own bathtub and branches from which to hang.<\/p>\n
There isn\u2019t an exact date as to when Wally will begin greeting visitors on a daily basis, but generally the staff tries to take him out once per day for a little while to show him off and get him used to having an audience.<\/p>\n
\u201cHopefully within the next couple of weeks he\u2019ll be on exhibit for a few hours per day, mostly from 2 to 5 [p.m.] or a 3 to 6 [p.m.] time frame,\u201d said DiMicco.<\/p>\n
After the busy summer season, Wally will settle in for longer periods of time and begin his outreach trips.<\/p>\n