A two-toed sloth at Aloha Safari Park in Cameron, in Moore County, bit a child who leaned in to kiss or hug the animal, according to a USDA inspection report. The girl received treatment for a small wound on her chin, and the sloth was placed under quarantine. Federal inspectors labeled the incident a critical violation of the park's animal-handling rules.
USDA report lays out what went wrong
The USDA inspection report, as reported by CBS17, says the child leaned in to kiss or hug the sloth just before it bit her in the face. Inspectors wrote that the zoo "failed to provide enough distance and/or a barrier between guests and the sloth to prevent guests from being harmed," which the agency flagged as a critical violation. The report also notes that the animal was quarantined after the bite and that the child was treated for what the document describes as a minor wound on her chin.
How close visitors can get
Aloha Safari Park lists a sloth among its animals and promotes close-up visitor experiences on the property. The attraction describes a mix of drive-through and walk-through exhibits and highlights hands-on or small-animal interactions as part of its offerings. The park's online descriptions, however, do not spell out specific staff-to-guest distancing requirements for each type of encounter.
Paid animal meet-and-greets in the spotlight
Past park social media posts and Facebook listings have advertised paid animal meet-and-greet sessions. CBS17 reported that those listings included $100 interactions with servals or capuchin monkeys, $50 kangaroo sessions, and options for up to four people to spend about 15 minutes with a two-toed sloth for roughly $150. According to CBS17, the station sought comment from Aloha Safari Park but did not report an immediate response from the facility. Those now-scrutinized listings add a commercial backdrop to an encounter that federal inspectors later cited as unsafe.
Growing scrutiny of hands-on animal attractions
Similar bite incidents and animal escapes at interactive zoos and wildlife venues have drawn increased attention from regulators and animal-welfare advocates in recent years. Public encounters with exotic, non-domesticated animals such as sloths can be tricky to manage, since these species can react unpredictably when they feel crowded, stressed or startled, no matter how cute the marketing photos look.
What federal regulators can do next
The USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, or APHIS, publishes inspection findings and can pursue enforcement under the Animal Welfare Act. That can include fines, corrective action orders or even license-related measures, according to USDA APHIS. A "critical" violation signals a condition that poses a serious threat to the safety of animals or visitors and typically triggers rapid follow-up from inspectors, per BreederCheck. Aloha Safari Park will have to fix the cited problems and could face additional action based on APHIS's enforcement review.
For now, the sloth remains in quarantine, and the park's up-close animal offerings in Cameron are likely to face heightened scrutiny from federal inspectors and local authorities. This story will be updated as agencies or the park release further information. Families heading to interactive animal exhibits may want to check current safety rules and handling policies before they go, especially for any experience that promises a face-to-face moment with the wildlife.
