Sloths are cute but dangerous – don’t touch them, experts warn

Tempted to embrace a sloth? Not so fast.

Despite how cuddly the mammals look, campaigners are warning animal lovers against taking part in the zoo’s interactive experiences, which have been popping up all over social media.

“The desire for closeness — to touch, to feel the immediate presence of animals — is very old,” Nigel Rothfels, a historian who specifically studies zoos, told the New York Times. “Maybe we are determined for that. But access and demand have increased.â€

Citing federal data, The Times reports that the number of USDA-licensed animal exhibitors doubled from 2019 to 2021, with more than 1,000 sloths valued annually over the past two years.

But increased demand has led to more animal illnesses and deaths, as well as injuries to puppies, prompting concern from campaigners who say the appearance of interacting with exotic animals could be misleading to the general public.

The ability to touch, hug, or cuddle an animal that is not domesticated can lead people to believe that those animals can be pets or that there is no need for conservation efforts.

“Simply put, seeing animals in contact with people has the potential to influence negative beliefs about wildlife and conservation,” Sally Sherwen, director of conservation and wildlife science at Australia-based Zoos Victoria, told the paper.

Not to mention, wildlife is not meant to be seen up close by humans. Sloths may be cute from afar, but they “have incredibly powerful jaws” and “can break bones with their teeth,” explained zoologist and director of the Sloth Institute Sam Trull. A Michigan teenager learned this the hard way when she was bitten by a “blood-sucking” sloth last year at a pet store that advertised animal encounter experiences.

Trull said the only way to ensure they won’t be “aggressive to people is to take them away from their mothers at a very young age” and introduce them to people.

While some animals may enjoy human interactions in a controlled environment, experts decry the tourism born of perfect photo-ops, calling it exploitative.

“We’re seeing more and more facilities, roadside attractions, that are just popping up out of people’s homes,” Michelle Sinnott, an advocate and director of captive animal law enforcement at the animal activist group PETA, told The . Times.

SeaQuest, in Woodbridge, NJ, billed as a hands-on aquarium and zoo experience, is one such business that has come under intense scrutiny from activists and regulators, according to The Times.

Last month, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection sent SeaQuest a lengthy notice of violations regarding sick, injured or abused animals in their care. State records obtained by The Times also show that 100 animals — including two sloths — died under SeaQuest’s care at the adjacent NYC location from 2019 to 2023.

In response to an ABC News investigation into the matter, SeaQuest claimed it took in rescue animals that were already in poor health upon their arrival at the facilities.

Vince Covino, the co-founder of SeaQuest which offers interactive experiences at its locations around the country, once said he doesn’t believe in the “look but don’t touch” approach to educational experiences when it comes to animals.

“There’s been a stigma for a long time” do not touch animals; do not feed the animals. “Shh, they’re sleeping; they don’t want to interact with human beings,” he said, per The Times. “I just didn’t buy it.”

Covino — who, The Times notes, reportedly has no formal background or training in biology, zoology or animal husbandry — has previously claimed that the animals at SeaQuest are happier in the controlled environment, where, according to The Times, some animals Natural circadian rhythms and routines are disrupted for the entertainment of patrons.

The Times reported that, in an interview last year, SeaQuest executives claimed that their team had trained the animals to be awake and alert at times that were best for human viewing and interaction, not in accordance with their instincts. natural.

But things are starting to turn in wildlife’s favor after Netflix’s 2020 viral spectacle ‘Tiger King’ sparked the passage of a ‘big cat’ bill, which banned the ownership of large animals such as lions, tigers and leopards.

According to The Times, more accredited zoos have begun not to even allow keepers to be photographed, while the Humane Society has called for a total ban on interactive public encounters.

“Our priority is for the animal to have what we call ‘choice and control,'” said Dan Ashe, president of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, which accredits U.S. institutions and has revised its guidelines to focus on welfare. of animals and ask the seemingly forgotten question: “Are animals happy?”