Play With Sloths At Southwick's Zoo In Massachusetts For An Adorable Adventure
By Melissa Mahoney|Published July 07, 2021
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Melissa Mahoney
Author
I'm an east coast girl living in a west coast world. I grew up in New England before moving to SoCal for several years. I then lived in NYC or a year before moving to AZ in 2009. I worked in the entertainment industry for many years of my adult life and have a deep love for photography, writing, and traveling around the U.S. as well as to far-flung locations around the world. Travel is my life and writing about it is a dream!
It’s always fun to go to the zoo where we can view a variety of animals from all over the world, but it’s even better to have a more up-close-and-personal encounter. At Southwick’s Zoo in Mendon, you can book an encounter with either a giraffe, a rhino, or, best of all, a sloth!
Southwick's Zoo, located in Mendon, is open from April through October. This zoo spans across 200 acres with 850 animals and is considered "New England's largest zoological experience."
Aside from the animals, Southwick's Zoo has rides like the Skyfari Sky Ride, Woodland Express Train, and Soaring Eagle Zip-line. Visitors may also enjoy a deer park, a petting zoo, educational presentations, and animal encounters.
Southwick's Zoo offers three types of up-close-and-personal encounters. You can choose from a Giraffe Encounter, a Rhino Encounter, or our personal favorite, a Sloth Encounter!
All encounters are an additional cost to the admission price. While the Giraffe Encounter is first come, first served for tickets and cannot be purchased in advance, both the Rhino and Sloth Encounters must be reserved ahead of time online.
If you're up for booking a Sloth Encounter, here's what to expect: you get a personal 20-minute presentation when you meet a two-toed sloth up close. You will be allowed in the animal's enclosure where you may then feed the sloth a few bites of its breakfast.
You will also learn about the sloths living at the zoo plus conservation efforts and biology.
Depending on how the sloth is behaving that day, you may even be allowed to touch it! Please be aware that touching is not guaranteed and you will not be allowed to hold a sloth no matter how badly you may want to.
The Sloth Encounter program is presented by EARTH Limited at the EARTH Discovery Center at the zoo. Half of the ticket proceeds will go to this educational program while the other half is donated to the Sloth Institute.
Sloths are docile, slow-moving creatures that always look as though they are smiling. There's just something so sweet and adorable about them, wouldn't you agree?
Would you like to book a sloth encounter at Southwick’s Zoo? You can do so on the website and don’t forget to follow the zoo’s Facebook page for program updates and animal photos! If you’ve had an animal encounter at Southwick, please tell fellow readers all about it in the comment section.
