Abilene Zoo welcomes Vicki the Sloth Bear

ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – The Abilene Zoo is welcoming a new, rare creature to their collection – Vicki the Sloth Bear!

Vicki is a 12-year-old female who is coming to Abilene for a temporary stay from the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute in Washington. She will be with the Abilene Zoo until their expansion project begins in Spring 2026.

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Read more information provided about Vicki by the Abilene Zoo below:

Vicki brings a unique personality – she’s known to be sassy, smart and inquisitive. She’s got
poufy hair with a part in the middle. Some of her favorite hobbies include playing with her
enrichment toys and eating thousands of insects in one sitting. Like most sloth bears, she
prefers a solitary lifestyle, a trait typical of her species in the wild.

Native to the forests of India, Sri Lanka, and Nepal, sloth bears are listed as “Vulnerable” by the
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), with fewer than 20,000 remaining in the
wild. Threatened by deforestation, habitat loss, and poaching, sloth bears are part of the
Association of Zoos And Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plan. The SSP is a collaborative
program among AZA-accredited institutions focused on protecting at-risk species through
breeding, research, and education.

One of only about 30 sloth bears in AZA-accredited zoos in North America, Vicki brings an
important conservation story to Abilene. With their shaggy coats, curved claws, and vacuum-like
snouts, sloth bears are uniquely adapted to consume up to 50,000 ants or termites a day,
playing a pivotal role in sustaining healthy forest ecosystems.

Vicki and the other Abilene Zoo animals will be on display during zoo hours from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ever day during the summer.