Sleeping with the sloths doesn't sound as sinister as sleeping with the fishes, but it certainly sounds like an awesome experience for nature buffs.
The Huffington Post reports on the Zoological Wildlife Conservation Center in Rainier, Oregon, and its program that allows sloth enthusiasts to slumber near the real deal. The experience will cost you handsomely and also means preparing for a night of simply looking and keeping quiet.
[CALLOUT]
It's like the most reserved sleepover of your life.
[READMORE]READ MORE: Sloth Poses for Selfie in Video Captured by Tourists [/READMORE]
As the report states, you can expect to pay in upwards of $600 for a double-occupancy experience. With that money, you get to lie near sloths from 8 p.m. to 7:30 in the morning.
And, as a word of caution, you are not to hold the sloths or be all that loud.
Forget introducing these animals to your really sweet Spotify playlist, because they like it very quiet.
This is an experience that allows you that rare opportunity to see your favorite animal up close, but the center is quick to explain this is no mere zoo. The Huffington Post quotes a representative from the Sloth Captive Husbandry Center:
"This is ideal for us and our sloths because we are a captive conservation center [first] and foremost and not a 'for public entertainment' 'zoo,'" the representative said. "It allows the sloths all of the ultra quiet rest periods that they need to stay healthy. We do not double stack visitors to one group of sloths -- they require their 15-18 hours of 'beauty sleep' per day."
The website explains further: "We do not have a 'gift shop' or 'concession stands' as they simply require hundreds of thousands of dollars in re-zoning, exorbitant property taxes, and 'inventory' that we deem wasteful when the funds are better utilized toward animal care, habitats, research and long-term captive conservation projects."
It then goes on to explain that because of its status you need a guide throughout the area.
There are also other options if you don't want to plunk down $600 on a sloth experience. The website touts a "Sloth Feed and Pet Educational Encounter" that will cost you $100 but allows you to pet and feed these unique animals for 40 minutes.
That is when they will presumably go back to their life of sleeping, eating and sleeping-not unlike you on vacation.
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