A Jersey Zoo sloth is heading to Hampshire for what could be the slowest blind date ever arranged.
Jemma, a Linné’s two-toed sloth born at Jersey Zoo, will leave the Island at the end of the month to join a male sloth named Santos at Marwell Zoo as part of a European breeding programme, it was announced today.
The move has been carefully co-ordinated between zoos in a bid to help strengthen the captive population of the species.
“Following Jemma’s arrival in January last year, the team at Jersey Zoo had always hoped she would go on to breed and help bolster the captive population of this species,” the Zoo said.
“Her pairing with Santos comes following collaborative conversations with other zoos in the UK and an endorsement from the European Breeding co-ordinator who suggested they would be a good match.”
Jemma’s story has been closely followed by visitors since she was born at the zoo in January 2025.
Her parents, Rio and Terry, had arrived at Jersey Zoo in November 2022 as part of the breeding programme for Linné’s two-toed sloths – a species native to the rainforests of South America.
However, tragedy struck last year.
Rio, who had arrived with pre-existing health issues, was put down in January 2025. Just months later, Terry died suddenly and a postmortem examination found a piece of chewed food lodged in her airway.
With both parents gone, keepers monitored Jemma closely as she adapted to life without them.
Now, just over a year after she was born, the young sloth is being given the chance to play a role in the wider conservation breeding programme.
Jemma will leave Jersey Zoo on 24 March, though visitors still have time to see her before she heads off to meet Santos.
After that, visitors will still be able to access the indoor area of Cloud Forest “to see its other residents, including our noisy giant otter duo Alex and Fia”, the zoo added.