Should You Hug a Sloth?

Sloths might look like they’re constantly smiling, but that doesn’t mean they’re happy being touched.

A Michigan teenager learned that firsthand when a sloth bit her in 2023 at an exotic pet store that offered weekly interactions.

“There were two puncture wounds and blood running down her arm,” her mother told local media.

Lately, the slow-moving mammal, native to Central and South America, has become a star attraction in the growing range of animal parks and pet shops where interactions with animals—the more exotic and up-close the better—underpin the business model. The number of those exhibitors licensed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture almost doubled from 2019 to 2021, with more than 1,000 sloths inspected annually in the last two years. Other creatures getting the hands-on treatment include otters, wallabies, capybaras, sugar gliders, reptiles, and primates such as lemurs and capuchin monkeys, animal rights activists say. According to federal data, the risk of animal deaths and disease outbreaks has increased. So have human injuries—and the concerns of experts and state agencies.

Sloths might look like they’re constantly smiling, but that doesn’t mean they’re happy being touched.

A Michigan teenager learned that the hard way in 2023. A sloth bit her at an exotic pet store that offered weekly interactions with the animal.

“There were two puncture wounds and blood running down her arm,” her mother told local media.

Lately, the slow-moving mammal, native to Central and South America, has become a star attraction at the growing number of animal parks and pet shops that offer interactions with exotic animals. Their business model is to offer up-close experiences. The number of those exhibitors licensed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (U.S.D.A.) almost doubled from 2019 to 2021. In the past two years, the U.S.D.A inspected more than 1,000 sloths annually. Animal rights activists say other creatures getting the hands-on treatment include otters, wallabies, capybaras, sugar gliders, reptiles, and primates such as lemurs and capuchin monkeys. According to federal data, the risk of animal deaths and disease outbreaks has increased.  Human injuries are also on the rise, prompting the concern of experts and state agencies.

Whether they’re at an iffy roadside stand or an established institution’s “backstage tour,” the encounters often wind up, by design, on social media. That visibility normalizes hugging critters—but many animal experts say it shouldn’t.

Sloths “can break bones with their teeth,” says Sam Trull, a zoologist and director of the Sloth Institute, a nonprofit refuge in Costa Rica. To acclimate to human contact, they have to be taken from their mothers at a very young age, he says.

The sloth trade isn’t federally regulated. Breeders supply some of the animals, although, according to federal data, many are still captured from the wild. Because some states don’t have guidelines on sloths in captivity, it’s impossible to say how many might be exhibited nationwide, but activists say that over the past few years, there has been an uptick—possibly because of the hit Netflix documentary series Tiger King.

After that show helped draw attention to the seedy industry of tiger cub petting, Congress passed a federal “big cat” law banning most private possession of those animals and their interaction with the public. The response by animal exhibitors, conservationists say, was to pivot to smaller, less regulated creatures. Unlike big cats, these smaller animals can be used for profitable interactions their whole lives since they never get very large, explains Michelle Sinnott, a lawyer and the director of captive animal law enforcement at the animal rights group PETA.

“We’re seeing more and more facilities . . . that are just popping up out of people’s houses,” she says.

Whether they’re at an iffy roadside stand or an established institution’s “backstage tour,” the encounters often wind up on social media. This is by design, and that visibility normalizes hugging critters. But many animal experts say it shouldn’t.

Sloths “can break bones with their teeth,” says Sam Trull, a zoologist and director of the Sloth Institute, a nonprofit refuge in Costa Rica. To get used to human contact, they have to be taken from their mothers at a very young age, he says.

The sloth trade isn’t federally regulated. Breeders supply some of the animals. But many are still captured from the wild, according to federal data. It is impossible to say how many might be exhibited nationwide because some states don’t have guidelines on sloths in captivity. Activists say that over the past few years, there has been an uptick—possibly because of the hit Netflix documentary series Tiger King.

After that show helped draw attention to the seedy industry of tiger cub petting, Congress passed a federal “big cat” law. It banned most private possession of the animals as well as their interaction with the public. The response by animal exhibitors, conservationists say, was to switch to smaller, less regulated animals. Unlike big cats, these smaller animals can be used for profitable interactions their whole lives since they never get very large, explains Michelle Sinnott, a lawyer and the director of captive animal law enforcement at the animal rights group PETA.

“We’re seeing more and more facilities . . . that are just popping up out of people’s houses,” she says.

Certain animals may enjoy human activity, especially in an otherwise controlled environment—like the playful primates in a zoo. But even then, it depends on the individual creature, says Jenny Gray, the chief executive of Zoos Victoria in Australia and a former president of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Forcing an animal in an enclosure into a photo op is exploitative, she and other experts say.

“Our priority is that the animal has what we call ‘choice and control,’” says Dan Ashe, president of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums. It has updated its guidelines on animal encounters, asking members to address what Ashe calls animals’ “social, psychological well-being”—to answer the question, “Are the animals happy?”

Not according to animal advocates, who point to instances of neglect and abuse at businesses ranging from national aquarium chains to small petting zoos.

For instance, SeaQuest, a chain of interactive aquariums that exhibits sloths at most of its seven locations, along with marine life like stingrays and octopuses, has had to close multiple outposts after numerous state and federal citations. More than 100 animals, including four sloths, have died under the aquariums’ care.

Certain animals may enjoy human activity, especially in an otherwise controlled environment like a zoo. But even then, it depends on the individual creature, says Jenny Gray, the chief executive of Zoos Victoria in Australia and a former president of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Forcing an animal in an enclosure to take photos is unfair, she and other experts say.

“Our priority is that the animal has what we call ‘choice and control,’” says Dan Ashe, president of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums. It has updated its guidelines on animal encounters. The guidelines now ask members to address what Ashe calls animals’ “social, psychological well-being.” They should answer the question, “Are the animals happy?”

According to animal advocates, the answer is no. They cite instances of neglect and abuse at businesses ranging from national aquarium chains to small petting zoos.

For example, SeaQuest is a chain of interactive aquariums that exhibits marine life like stingrays and octopuses, as well as sloths, at most of its seven locations. They had to close multiple locations after numerous state and federal citations. More than 100 animals, including four sloths, have died under the aquariums’ care.

Vince Covino, SeaQuest’s founder, says that animals are still more content at SeaQuest’s facilities, located at indoor shopping centers, than in the wild—because the temperature is controlled, they’re fed on a schedule, and they don’t have to deal with environmental hazards.

“When people come to understand that, then they realize, ‘Oh, I see why they do better in malls,’” he says.

At Sloth Encounters on Long Island in New York, people could pay $50 to pet and hold sloths. But after the Humane Society conducted an undercover investigation of the business—and captured video of crowded habitats and a staff member hitting a sloth—local officials forced the operation to close last March. The owner, Larry Wallach, previously exhibited tiger cubs and received federal citations for their mistreatment. He is still promoting home visits with the sloths on social media and says they are well cared for.

“As long as everything is captive-bred, I don’t see a problem,” he says. “All my sloths are handleable.”

No matter where the creatures are bred, some animal ethicists argue that there’s no way for wild critters to tell us if they like being touched. Does an otter really want to sit on an 8-year-old’s lap?

Zoos and other institutions depend on human involvement to protect their animals and to understand the grave need for conservation. But, says Gray of Zoos Victoria, that doesn’t give humans free rein to do as they please with wildlife in captivity.

“You don’t have to touch every animal,” Gray says, “to feel in love with animals.”

Vince Covino, SeaQuest’s founder, says that animals are still more content at SeaQuest’s facilities, often located at indoor shopping centers. They live in an environment that is temperature controlled, where they’re fed on a schedule, and they don’t have to deal with environmental hazards in the wild.

“When people come to understand that, then they realize, ‘Oh, I see why they do better in malls,’” he says.

At Sloth Encounters on Long Island in New York, people could pay $50 to pet and hold sloths. Last March, officials forced the business to close after the Humane Society conducted an undercover investigation. They recorded video of crowded habitats and a staff member hitting a sloth. The owner, Larry Wallach, previously exhibited tiger cubs. He received federal citations for their mistreatment. He is still promoting home visits with the sloths on social media and says they are well cared for.

“As long as everything is captive-bred, I don’t see a problem,” he says. “All my sloths are handleable.”

No matter where the creatures are bred, some animal ethicists argue that there’s no way for wild animals to tell us if they like being touched. Does an otter really want to sit on an 8-year-old’s lap?

Zoos and other institutions depend on human involvement to protect their animals and to understand the urgent need for conservation. But, says Gray of Zoos Victoria, that doesn’t give humans free rein to do as they please with wildlife in captivity.

“You don’t have to touch every animal,” Gray says, “to feel in love with animals.”

Melena Ryzik is a culture reporter for The Times. With reporting by Lauren Vespoli.

Melena Ryzik is a culture reporter for The Times. With reporting by Lauren Vespoli.