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MINOT, ND (KXNET) — Helen the Sloth joins the Animal Ambassador Program at the Roosevelt Park Zoo in Minot.
An animal ambassador is any animal that interacts with the public both on-site and offsite to educate the guests on their behaviors, build empathy for the animals, and promote conserving wildlife.
Park leaders say these ambassadors are brought to schools and daycares, to allow the kids to get up close and personal with the animals.
They have been preparing her for upcoming events in front of the public.
“And what that would require is her being able to be comfortable being taken off of her exhibit, her being comfortable being transported to the location of the outreach, being comfortable at the outreach, and also being comfortable being transported back to her home,” said Miranda Thompson, the outreach keeper at the Roosevelt Park Zoo.
Leaders say this will impact the community because it will get the public more excited about animals and more aware of wildlife.
Helen will need to go through lots of training because the new ambassador status will affect her health as well.
“Providing her a lot of mental stimulation so there is lots of training involved lots of work, lots of relationship building between me and her, and now it will also be our educator Travis,” said Thompson.
Thompson says Helen’s personality is that of a diva and one fun fact is sloths poop only one or two times a week.
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