Responsible
Animal Interactions
Before you visit, we want you to understand how we approach every animal interaction — and why we hold ourselves to the highest standard of animal welfare.
Our promise: We will never prioritize your experience over an animal's welfare. If an animal isn't feeling up to an interaction on any given day, we'll reschedule — no questions asked. This is what ethical sanctuary operation looks like.
WAZA Guidelines for Responsible Animal–Visitor Interactions
We do not participate in — and actively discourage — any animal interactions that do not abide by the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) guidelines. These six principles are non-negotiable at Chase Sanctuary.
Avoid having animals in any interactive experience that would compromise their welfare.
Animals involved in direct contact situations should receive appropriate training to ensure they are comfortable and prepared.
Make no unnecessary demands on animals and assure that visitors do not provoke or create discomfort or stress responses in the animals.
Provide animals with choice of whether to participate or not in the interactions and the ability to leave at will.
All visitation areas must be of suitable size for species-appropriate needs and have suitable refuge areas for the animals.
Any feeding must be regulated to be consistent with the animal's overall appropriate diet and health — this food must not be the only access to food, and the animal must have a choice whether to accept it.
Regarding Sloths
Sloths are now the #1 victims of the global "wildlife selfie trade." Human exploitation is quickly becoming one of the major threats to the survival of wild sloths — and we take that responsibility seriously.
If so, don't do it. Sloths do not want to be touched or petted under any circumstance. Any organization that allows this is prioritizing revenue over welfare.
Sloths are creatures of habit and do not like big changes in their environment. While some species may find enrichment in a walk outside, sloths as a rule become stressed when moved or taken out on a walk. This is a red flag.
This is the gold standard. If you are holding food out and the sloth comes to take it from you, the interaction is on the sloth's terms. But if a keeper is having to physically move or disturb the sloth — that becomes stressful, and it's not acceptable.
Don't be afraid to ask — and then verify. Many organizations claim to support conservation but aren't doing anything at all. We are transparent about every partnership we have.
We wouldn't recommend anything above 1 encounter per day. Many responsible organizations will even reschedule an encounter if the keeper doesn't think the sloth is feeling up for it that day. That's exactly what we do.
Book an Experience That
Actually Matters.
You now know what to look for. Chase Sanctuary meets every one of those standards — and then some. Every visit directly funds the conservation work we've dedicated our lives to.