Seven Rodrigues fruit bats and a two-toed sloth are the latest residents to join Folly Farm Adventure Park and Zoo.

The critically endangered bats, also known as flying foxes, will share an enclosure with two a male sloth named Tuppee.

The enclosure, which is located at the Folly Farm Interactive centre, has been extended and specially adapted to include a higher ceiling for the bats as well as climbing frames and hanging space for the sloth.

The fruit bats, which usually have a wing span of around two feet, are native to Rodrigues, an island in the Indian Ocean belonging to Mauritius. The island is now the only place they can be found in the wild.

There are currently between 2,000 and 4,000 bats left, but the population has been as low as 70 individuals, mainly as a result of the destruction of their natural habitat due to agriculture and logging.

Folly Farm keeper Shelly Hailston, who takes care of the bats and sloth, said: “We’ve all been looking forward to welcoming these amazing animals to our Folly Farm family.

“I’ve worked with smaller animals before like meerkats and porcupines, but they don’t really like to be fed by hand, so having closer interaction with the bats and the sloth will be a new experience for me.

“I’m really excited to be working with the Rodrigues fruit bats, as they’re a critically endangered species. It’s so important to take care of them properly and make sure they eat the right things. They love to eat bananas and soft fruits, and usually hang with their wings folded around them for most of the day.”

Reaching an average weight of 8kg, they have a life span of around 20 years in the wild, but can live for up to 30 to 40 years in captivity.

Originally from Central and South America, sloths spend most of their lives hanging upside down from trees.

Shelly continued: “I’ve always been fascinated by sloths and the way they move, so it will be a real privilege to work with them every day.

“Diet is really important with sloths, as they mainly eat green leaves and vegetables and usually have to be fed in the afternoon.

"They only poo once a week, and it really smells because of their diet and the fact that they can take up to a month to digest their food, so that’s one job I won’t be looking forward to.

“We’ve made sure that the bats and the sloth will be very comfortable in their new home, and have adapted the enclosure to make sure there’s enough space for the bats to fly and hang, with plenty of different structures and climbing frames for Tuppee.

“We’re hoping we will be able to add more sloths in the near future as well as introduce a male bat as part of our conservation work.”

For further information please visit www.folly-farm.co.uk