The Cincinnati Zoo Renames Its Sloth Habitat in Honor of Oliver Nicholson

The Cincinnati Zoo will rename their sloth habitat in honor of Oliver Nicholson, an infant who died earlier this year due to a rare disorder and spent much time in hospital stays; during one such stay his family presented him with a beloved stuffed sloth which he took everywhere with him.

Early Life and Education

Oliver is a starving orphan who finds refuge with Fagin, a criminal mastermind who instructs young orphans in pickpocketing techniques. When Oliver witnesses one of Fagin’s proteges steal from an elderly gentleman and steal their handkerchief from them, it makes him shudder with horror; thus leading him to run away and ultimately taking shelter with Mr. Brownlow who takes him under his care and nurse him back to health.

Bill Sikes (Oliver Reed), played by an otherwise reclusive individual named Nancy (played by the late Bette Midler), remains his “soul mate.” This film may not rank among classics but is entertaining enough and technically-accomplished; with some good choreography and camerawork. Unfortunately, however, its songs begin to wear thin after awhile – Disney did much better with their version in Oliver & Company than it.

Professional Career

Oliver Nicholson has enjoyed a distinguished academic career. In small courses on later Latin texts, and large (sometimes very large) lecture courses on Late Antiquity history, religion and culture he has led students from Extension as well as Classical and Near Eastern Studies through.

He specializes in Roman history, particularly its social, cultural and political development during the Principate and early Empire periods. He has published extensively on these subjects.

He was also a dedicated teacher. In fact, he once stated that teaching would have been his preferred profession rather than acting since teaching allowed him to assist young people in becoming themselves as individuals. Furthermore, he advocated lifelong learning; many of his former pupils went on to become teachers themselves.

Achievement and Honors

Nicholson has received many honors and awards for his work. In 2011 he was honored as a “Made in NY” honoree, was inducted into the New York City Entrepreneur Hall of Fame, and even appeared on the cover of Forbes Magazine!

Additionally, he is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics and has served on various non-profit boards, such as Children’s National Medical Center and United States Board of Directors of Global Fund.

Oliver has two siblings, Edna Mabel Probin and Margaret Anne Nicholson. After his mother passed away from leukemia in February 2019, the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden dedicated its sloth habitat in her honor, while Oliver’s family later named Lightning after her.

Personal Life

Oliver was born with VACTERL anomalies and tracheoesophageal fistula, and spent his early life bouncing between children’s hospitals. However, his bond with Alex grew quickly as he often asked for him to hold him – at one hospital stay Alex gave Oliver “Mr. Sloth” which quickly became one of his favorites!

Nicholson initiated a petition after Oliver died to have Lightning the sloth at Cincinnati Zoo named in his honor; they received over 80,000 signatures before finding out Lightning gave birth stillborn.

The family continues to receive sloth gifts in honor of Oliver from both friends and strangers, hoping to raise awareness for VACTERL and assist other families through their struggles. Furthermore, they plan on creating a memorial at a zoo as an honoring tribute.

Net Worth

Oliver has an estimated net worth of $20 Million. His assets include various business interests and speaking engagements as a public speaker. Furthermore, he is actively engaged in charity efforts.

He is an animal enthusiast with a particular love of sloths. When he discovered that Cincinnati Zoo’s baby sloth was pregnant, he launched a petition naming her Oliver; eventually this campaign amassed over 80,000 signatures. Unfortunately Oliver died stillborn but in her memory they decided to honor his legacy by naming their sloth habitat after him.

He sports thick eyebrows and a handlebar moustache. Once, when inebriated on Michael Aspel’s chat show, he sang an enthusiastic rendition of “Wild Thing.” Additionally, he has provided narration services for tracks by metal band Death SS and snooker star Alex Higgins.