Responsible animal/visitor interactions

Do not participate in animal interactions that do not abide by the WAZA guidelines for responsible animal visitor  interactions: 

1. Avoid having animals in any interactive experience that would compromise their welfare.

2. Animals involved in direct contact situations should receive appropriate training 

3. Make no unnecessary demands on animals and assure that visitors do not provoke or create discomfort or stress responses in the animals.

4. Provide animals with choice of whether to participate or not in the interactions and the ability to leave at will

5. All  visitation areas should be of suitable size for species-appropriate needs and have suitable refuge areas for the animals.

6. 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 or the whole diet for the animal and the animal must have choice whether to accept this food.

With respect to Sloths: 

Sloths are now the number 1 victims of the global “wildlife selfie trade” and human exploitation is quickly becoming one of the major threats to the survival of wild sloths.

Are any sloth encounter experiences OK?

Yes! Plenty of accredited zoos and aquariums have very ethical sloth encounter experiences available. Here are the top 5 things to look out for:

Do they allow hands-on contact with the sloth?

If so, don’t do it. Sloths do not want to be touched or petted under any circumstance.

Is the sloth moved from it’s enclosure?

Sloths are creatures of habit and do not like big changes in environment. For some species, being moved or taken on a walk outside may be enriching, but sloths get stressed out by this.

Is the interaction on the sloths terms?

If you are holding food out and the sloth comes to take it from you, this is OK and the interaction is on the sloths terms. But if a keeper is having to physically move or disturb the sloth then this becomes stressful.

Does the organization donate to support sloth conservation efforts in the wild? 

Don’t be afraid to ask questions about this one. Many organizations claim to support conservation efforts but really aren’t doing anything at all. Find out which non-profit they support and check the website of the non-profit to see if the organization is listed as an official supporter.

How many encounter experiences does the sloth participate in each day?

We wouldn’t recommend anything above 1 encounter per day. Many good organizations will even reschedule an encounter if the keeper doesn’t think the sloth is feeling up for it.

The Makowski FamilyThe Makowski Family
04:53 12 Mar 23
Incredible day at the sanctuary! Words can’t describe how amazing this place is! My husband booked this tour for me today as a birthday present and I’m still smiling and amazed with every animal we encountered (as well as the amazing staff/volunteers) we had the opportunity to see, and the story behind how the animals got there. These animals are clearly so loved and well cared for, it’s beautiful to see! Their habitats are just as fantastic as they are…amazing!!! And our guide (Michelle I believe her name was) was absolutely outstanding and so informative and amazing and passionate! We’ve visited a lot of animal sanctuaries, as I’m a huge animal lover, and this one left me feeling so at peace, words can’t really describe it. Wear closed toed shoes, listen to the guides, bring some yummies (they list what they need) and enjoy and listen to every moment! I was in heaven today☺️ Love the lemurs, the deer (what a sweetheart, I’m in love), and Sully and the bunny Alice❤️ Got so many kisses, what an incredible group of animals, unforgettable! Thank you for an amazing, informative experience, one that I’ll never forget!!! Thank you for all that you do! I’ve already shared with friends and family!
Kayla NicholsKayla Nichols
20:59 03 Feb 23
Me and my bf went on a lemur tour and honestly this was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had with animal encounters, they really took their time with us and the animals and didn’t rush us at all. They let us take our time with each animal encounter and let us really experience them! All the enclosures are clean and a big for the animals ! What a wonderful place ❤️
Ashley BAshley B
23:08 31 Dec 22
We did lemur yoga and it was SUCH a great experience! Even if you’re not great at yoga, it’s okay and not a super intense class and beginner friendly- the instructor is super sweet. They prioritize your experience with the animals, which to us was great. Besides the lemurs, we got to be around a deer, capibaras, a tortoise and we met the Casper the bird.I would absolutely recommend this. After yoga we got to feed the animals a bit more, it was a blast!!My tip: Bring a towel for under your mat to help keep it clean since yoga is outdoors in the grass.
Rachel KingRachel King
22:40 10 Nov 22
Painting with Lemurs is an absolutely amazing experience! The animals are adorable and clearly happy and well cared for. There is no exploitation here, the animals are primarily rescues from private owners and were raised as pets. Chase now ensures they are properly cared for. The animals seems to l9ve interacting with visitors and getting treats and pets. Can't wait to go back for yoga!
Matthew BlackburnMatthew Blackburn
01:41 20 Mar 22
We brought the kids here on Spring Break to do something different. We were able to feed the lemurs, the deer, and various other animals.The staff were friendly and informative.I highly recommend coming here and doing the tour.
Zahida CeskoZahida Cesko
22:10 30 Oct 21
We had an amazing time today at yoga. It was one of the most fun and relaxing experiences. The staff was incredibly nice. I loved that the animals weren’t forced to interact. Some of the lemurs wouldn’t come out so they let out a different type of monkey. Everything was voluntary on the animals part which made it that much more enjoyable. The deer and Patagonia Mara were also a pleasant addition. Looking forward to going back again.
Adisa BecirevicAdisa Becirevic
19:38 30 Oct 21
We had an amazing time during lemur yoga! It was such a fun experience being able to interact with the animals and having them running around during yoga. We also liked how well cared for the animals are, it never felt like they were being exploited for our entertainment. This was such a wholesome and fantastic opportunity and we would definitely go back again!
L MachiavelliL Machiavelli
00:28 20 Sep 21
My friend and I attended lemur yoga. It was such an interesting experience. I didn’t know what it would be like but we were completely surprised in a good way. The lemurs were friendly, gentle, didn’t smell funky (yay to that!) and were soft like a chinchilla. The other attendees were also nice people. There were extra animals out during yoga. All was wonderful. I suggest bringing a towel with you to clean your hands off after feeding bits of fruit during yoga.
Angel RomanAngel Roman
21:58 19 Aug 21
Such a GREAT place to spend TIME; with friend's or family. On a date or with a LOVE one. The staff and owner's are awesome people. The love and time they all put into this place. Wow!!! I'm definitely GOING back. Not knowing much about Chase animal rescue. I will next time bring things they ask for on their website. See Ya soon!!!
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