This is the moment when a tiny newborn sloth snuggles into its mum’s fur at a zoo in Germany.

The after-dark footage was filmed in Leipzig Zoo, Saxony and shows the as-yet unnamed cub for the very first time.

The tot can be seen clinging tightly to its mum, Elfriede, as she moves about her enclosure at the 67-acre facility.

Even at just a month old, the youngster shows the amazing clinging skills that sloths use in the wild in their home at the top of rainforest tree canopies.

As its mum moves around in the enclosure, the cub can be seen hanging on and never slipping.

Linnaeus’s two-toed sloth (Choloepus didactylus) lives in northern South America east of the Andes and south to the central Amazon basin.

It is categorised by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as a species of least concern.

In a statement obtained by Newsflash, Leipzig Zoo said: “Breeding success with the two-toed sloth (Choloepus didactylus): The breeding couple Elfriede (6) and Sid (11) provided offspring in Gondwanaland [a ‘theme world’ at the zoo] on 14th September.

“With the help of a surveillance camera, the animal keepers were able to clearly identify the young animal on the mother’s stomach.

“So far, Elfriede has not shown herself directly to the nurses.”

Senior curator Ariel Jacken explained: “Our two-toed sloths can use the entire hall as territory and are therefore not in daily contact with the keepers.

“Weeks ago we installed a surveillance camera at the feeding station because there were signs of an impending birth and we wanted to at least get certainty in this way.

“Everyone is very happy about this offspring of sloths and we hope that the young animal will come up healthy.

“However, we’ll probably have to be patient a little longer before Elfriede presents her baby to us and it shows itself.”

The statement went on: “After evaluating the camera recordings, Elfriede takes care of her cub, which is holding tight to her stomach and appears very strong and agile.

“Young sloths, which are just 20 centimetres tall in the first few weeks, are very affectionate and hide in their mother’s warm fur.

“It takes several months for them to independently explore their surroundings.

“It is the second litter for the breeding pair, but the first offspring only survived a few days.

“With the opening of the tropical adventure world, the two-toed sloths are a permanent fixture at the zoo.

“Incidentally, the very first breeding success in a German zoo was in Leipzig in 1929.”