Adorable sloth receives some hair and makeup pampering on set of 'Today' show



They're 'genetically pre-programmed to hug' said guest zoologist Lucy Cooke

Cooke helped start the sloth craze with her 'Bucket of Sloths' video





A sloth stopped by the ‘Today’ show Wednesday, but before she got in front of the cameras she got some hair and makeup pampering on-set.

CC the sloth, who calls the Staten Island Zoo home, made her television debut along with zoologist Lucy Cooke, who was there to promote her children’s book about the slow-moving creatures, ‘A Little Book of Sloth.’

You may remember Cooke’s ‘Bucket of Sloths’ video, which featured several baby sloths hanging out together in a bucket, from Valentine’s Day this year.

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Lights, camera, action: A sloth stopped by the 'Today' show Wednesday and received some hair and makeup pampering

Hanging out: CC, who hails from the Staten Island Zoo, had heads turning with her 'Today' show appearance

In addition to promoting her book, Cooke said she is on a mission to educate the world about the odd animals.

‘I fell in love with sloths,’ Cooke told ‘Today.’ ‘They're genetically pre-programmed to hug. They smile all the time ... I think they're very misunderstood, so I want to make people understand.’

Very popular: CC accompanied zoologist Lucy Cooke, who was promoting her book 'A Little Book of Sloth'

According to Cooke, the sloth is slow but not stupid or lazy. She called their survival tactic ‘incredibly successful.’

‘Being fast,’ she said, ‘is overrated.’

Another interesting fact about sloths: they have no body odor.

Lots of sloths: Cooke is responsible for the Valentine's Day video craze 'Sloths in a Bucket'

Popular: Sloth footage, like the sloth on a speedboat video and baby sloth gives handler a flower (pictured) has seen a recent popularity surge

‘Today’ co-host Savannah Guthrie personally attested to this as Cooke made her case for her furry friends.

Guthrie also credited Cooke with helping start the current ‘sloth craze.’

Another sloth video, which featured the animal enjoying the breeze on a speedboat, swept the internet several weeks ago, as did footage of a baby sloth giving its handler a flower.

No smell: 'Today' host Savannah Guthrie (with Dr. Marc Valitutto) tested Cooke's assertion that sloths have no natural odor

Everyone loves sloths: Host Matt Lauer (center) also got in on the action and pet the popular CC

Guthrie thinks the sloth’s popularity might have something to do with another fact she learned from Cooke and CC.

‘I learned a lot about the sloth today,’ the host said on her Facebook page . ‘An animal that spends 80 percent of its life resting is my kind of animal.’







