Sloths have taken the internet by storm, and one of animal rescue center in Oregon decided to let visitors spend the night with the well-loved creatures. Sloth Sleepovers at the Zoological Wildlife Conservation Center allow people to sleep with the animals after dinnertime for $600.
Sloths are active during the night, and this will allow interested parties of up to eight people to observe how the animals live in the environment. The admission price consists of a sleeping tent, "I Slept with a Sloth" t-shirt and an hour of an educational session with one of the center's staff.
Only 32 of the animals can be presented to the guests among the hundreds of them living in their canopy habitat. One can take photos with sloths and feed them before the 7:30 AM departure. However, it is advised that a "stranger" should not hold a sloth because of the detrimental effects it can do to the animal.
So, if you're planning to stage a night out with the sloths avoid wearing too much perfume, smoke a cigarette or bring alcohol. The smell will bother the animals because of their strong olfactory senses. People won't be bothered by the smell of sloths, too. In fact, the management says the animals smell like rainforests.
If you have kids, you can only bring children between 10 years old and 16 and must accompany them all the time. You have to avail of the conservation center's own cot than bringing your own. It is also highly advisable to wear closed shoes than slippers if you want to encounter and mingle with the sloths.
First and foremost, visitors to the center should know that the place is a sanctuary and must observe rules to avoid stressing the animals. "We are a captive conservation center first and foremost and not a 'for public entertainment' zoo," a representative told Lonely Planet.
