Brand New Sloth Bear Cubs Born at San Diego Zoo Are Stealing Hearts with Their 'Cute Little Mouths'

Jarret Hendrickson

February 16, 2025 at 11:15 PM

Young bear cubs are some of the most precious animals on the planet. This is why the eyes of the animal world returned to the San Diego Zoo, where a mama sloth bear named Shayla recently gave birth to two beautiful cubs.

While these precious baby bears spent the first several weeks of their lives in a cave with their mother, they recently poked their tiny heads out into the world for the first time. And let's just say these adorable shaggy-haired babies are ready to take the world by storm with their undeniable cuteness.

Aren't these two just too precious? The way that they play with each other is just too adorable. And the way that their mama watches over and gently corrals them? Mother nature sure can be sweet.

According to a caption for this video from TikTok user sandiegozoo, these sloth bear cubs are very important due to their status as a vulnerable species. They wrote, "These precious little ones play a critical role in helping conservationists learn more about sloth bear ecology as we work alongside partners in India to help protect this species in their native habitat."

Related: Photographer's Video of Two Brown Bear Cubs Playing Like Human Kids Is Everything

Of course, the Internet was completely smitten with this adorable bear cub duo. Many people in the comments section, such as TikTok user Evythrills, were overwhelmed by these cubs' shaggy-haired cuteness and decided to let the bear puns fly as they struggled not to succumb to cuteness overload when they wrote, "I can bear-ly handle all this cuteness!"

Some people, such as TikTok user kathleengamble62, were particularly taken in by the cubs' unique mouths when they wrote, "OMG... Their little mouths! So cute!"

Meanwhile, other people, like TikTok user Valomajakka, were happy to know that these precious sloth bear cubs have a comfortable life ahead of them within the safe confines of the San Diego Zoo when they wrote, "It's comforting to know they will never know fear. They will never be hunted for a trophy. It's almost a privilege. They will know safety and love."

We certainly hope these adorable cubs will have all this and more at the San Diego Zoo.

Fun Facts About Sloth Bears

Did you know that a sloth bear was the inspiration for the character Baloo, the bear in The Jungle Book? These bears are native to hot climates, such as Sri Lanka and India. They will often sleep in caves, and unlike their bear relatives, they will skip hibernation because they do not live in a cold climate that requires them to do so.

Their diet consists of fruit, like figs and mangoes. They have long claws that they will use to dig up insects, such as beetles and ants, that they will eat as well. Their long snouts and lips will help them suck up ants and other insects.

The sound that they make when they do this sounds like a vacuum cleaner. Since these creatures are mostly nocturnal, don't expect to see them out and about sucking up ants and beetles during the daytime.

Looking for more PetHelpful updates? Follow us on YouTube for more entertaining videos. Or, share your own adorable pet by submitting a video, and sign up for our newsletter for the latest pet updates and tips.