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Long-lived sloth at John Ball Zoo dies

Linus was 39
Linus the Sloth.jpg
Posted at 11:40 AM, Feb 17, 2021
and last updated 2021-02-17 11:42:18-05

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — One of John Ball Zoo's longest residents has passed away.

Linus, the zoo's Linne’s two-toed sloth was put down after a mass was found in his nose in 2020.

Born in 1982 at Milwaukee County Zoo, Linus made the move to Grand Rapids as a one-year-old in 1983. Over the years, he shared space with other sloths, monkeys, armadillos, and tortoises. Zookeepers say he was a friendly creature, at least when he was awake. According to the zoo's information about Linne's two-toed sloths, they sleep around 15 hours every day.

When Linus started having a runny nose in 2020, he underwent a CT scan, revealing the mass. The medical team at John Ball Zoo tried several treatments, but months later, they came to the decision that his quality of life would never be the same.

Linne's two-toed sloths typically live up to 20 years in the wild, while those in captivity grow as old as 40. Linus being 38 made him a senior sloth by any standards.

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