Adorable moment Edinburgh Zoo’s new sloth bear tries to get down after climbing tree

The male sloth bear Rajath can be seen having fun exploring the tree, before making his way down the trunk slowly.

Rajath arrived in Edinburgh from Berlin Zoo on December 10, joining another sloth bear Cipísek. Royal Zoological Society of Scotland’s (RZSS) keepers are giving the 15-year-old Rajath some time to settle in before introducing him to two-year-old Cipísek.

The new sloth bear habitat at the zoo includes a large outdoor space for Rajath and Cipísek - who are Scotland’s only sloth bears - to roam, which mimics the species’ natural habitat.

Sloth bears are found across a large portion of India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, as well as the southern lowlands of Nepal and presumably Bhutan. The species is listed as Vulnerable in the wild with a decreasing population estimated at less than 10,000 individuals (IUCN redlist). The sloth bear’s forest and grassland homes are vanishing and many fall victim to poachers.