In April 30, the Krefeld Zoo in Germany celebrated the unofficial birthday of Jan, the world’s oldest sloth. At least 54 years old, Jan was found in South America in 1986 as a 6-month-old baby sloth. Since his rescue, he has been living at the zoo and his birthday is celebrated annually.
Jan holds two Guinness World Records: one for being the oldest sloth ever in captivity and the other for being the oldest living sloth in captivity. Typically, Linne’s two-toed sloths live for about 20 years, but Jan has more than doubled his life expectancy. Despite his advanced age, zoo officials report that Jan remains in great health and recently fathered his 22nd child.
