Love Sloths? “Keep Your Distance”

By Sam Trull

Humans enjoy touching…we show affection by being near each other. We kiss, we hug, we sometimes lay next to each other and play with each others hair…in fact…some couples even ‘groom’ each other by plucking unruly hairs and popping each others pimples (guilty as charged). So it’s only natural that when we love something non-human we WANT TO TOUCH IT. I totally get this. I would be liar if I said that when I see a ridiculously adorable animal I have zero desire to be physically connected. Of course I WANT to…but I resist the urge…I control my reptilian brained instincts and I keep my hands to myself! But…Why?

I like to refer to the 5 languages of love to help explain this conundrum. According to Gary Chapman, humans have 5 languages of love: “Words of Affirmation, Acts of Service, Receiving Gifts, Quality Time, and Physical Touch”. Sloths (and other wild animals) operate with the 6th love language – “Keep your Distance”!

This “Keep your Distance” love language is a hard one for some people….and yet it is really quite simple if you think about it. The basic principle relies on doing no harm. If you are near a wild animal, and you notice that your behavior is starting to affect their behavior…then stop what you are doing. For example, when sloths get scared…they freeze. This is their masterful way of trying to stay invisible to predators in the forest. So if you make a sloth freeze or respond to you in any way…show your love for them and “Keep your Distance”.

Trying to get closer, interact with or take selfies with a sloth is not a good way to show you love them….it’s only a good way to stress them out. Furthermore, as a tourist, don’t get sucked in by places that ask you to pay a certain fee to touch, hold or take photos with a sloth. I can’t count the number of times I have seen people holding a sloth on Instagram with the caption, “Just me and my new friend!” It’s important to understand that that sloth is NOT your new friend and through personal contact you are directly contributing to its abuse and eventual death (sloths die from stress and poor nutrition which is a sure thing for road-side attraction sloths). People steal sloths from the wild because they have figured out that tourists will pay to be near them…or even pay to purchase them…don’t feed this industry with your tourist dollars. Show your care by remembering: love sloths and “Keep Your Distance”

I know this particular message may be disappointing to some…you may even be thinking…”but my dog loves cuddles, kisses and hugs!?!” Dogs are domesticated animals – in fact they have been evolving with humans for 1000s of years. Their genetic make-up has literally evolved through domestication as well and they depend on humans for survival. Wild animals are the opposite…they depend on humans for nothing and thrive in a wild and natural environment.

So the next time you plan to visit a country with sloths…we hope you will consider joining us in the fight to save sloths and spread this message of responsible tourism: “If you love sloths, “Keep Your Distance”.

Keep an eye on our Did you Know series on our Facebook page this week to learn more about responsible sloth tourism and TSI facts ….