Sloth Asks Woman to Hold Her, and the Entire Internet is Jealous
Located in Benton, Tennessee, Ocoee Riverside Farm is home to a variety of animals, including camels, kangaroos, and sloths. Most wildlife encounters involve admiring animals from a distance, but the sloths living at the farm genuinely enjoy being held by their caretakers, and it's making everyone who watches this video more than a little jealous.
As the clip begins, a sloth named Chloe spots her caretaker walking in and immediately, albeit very slowly, starts making her way over. Before long, she climbs right onto her caretaker as if she's asking to be picked up and cuddled. The incredibly sweet moment has viewers wishing they could trade places with her and wondering how they can apply for the job themselves. As one commenter joked, "My school did NOT do career day correctly!"
@ocoeeriversidefarm Our sloths here on the farm are ambassador sloths which means they were born and raised in captivity and actively seek out and enjoy human interaction. We never force our sloths to do anything they don't want to. If they're not wanting to be held that day (which is rare) we don't push it. #fyp#foryoupage#sloth
Evergreen (feat. Caamp) - Richy Mitch & The Coal Miners & Caamp
Ocoee Riverside Farm shared more about this sweet cuddle session in the caption. "Our sloths here on the farm are ambassador sloths, which means they were born and raised in captivity and actively seek out and enjoy human interaction. We never force our sloths to do anything they don't want to. If they're not wanting to be held that day (which is rare) we don't push it."
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Do Sloths Like Being Held?
As adorable as Chloe's behavior is, experts caution against assuming that sloths enjoy being held. According to The Happy Sloth Co., research suggests that being handled can be stressful for sloths. "There has been research done that shows that sloths definitely do not like being held. When they are held, their heart rates increase and they are visibly more alert, indicating that being held by people can be very distressing and disorienting."
There's also a safety concern for humans. The Happy Sloth Co. quotes Bryson Voirin of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, who notes that sloths may look like living teddy bears, but they have sharp claws and can defend themselves when necessary. "They can definitely hurt you," he explains.
That said, the sloths in this video were born and raised in captivity and have longstanding relationships with their caretakers, making their situation very different from that of wild sloths. While Chloe's affection for her caretaker is undeniably sweet, experts still recommend avoiding sloth selfies and, whenever possible, handling wild sloths, as these interactions can negatively affect the animals' physical and emotional well-being.
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This story was originally published June 7, 2026 at 4:00 PM.