CLEVELAND — Say hi to Shala!
The Cleveland Zoo on Wednesday announced the winning name for its female sloth bear cub: Shala.
The cub was born Jan. 14 to 4-year-old mother Shiva and 13-year-old father Balawat. She made her public debut at the zoo last month.
The zoo held a naming contest in which guests could vote on one of three names: Lali, Nisha and Shala, which is an homage to the cub's parents.
The cub's name was selected based on the name that received the highest donation total. Donations will benefit sloth bears in the wild.
Sloth bears, which are considered a vulnerable species, can grow to weigh up to 300 pounds. The zoo says they exhibit several distinct behaviors, such as sloth bear cubs, who ride on their mothers' backs for their first six months.
