A 5-month-old baby who lives in South Lyon is stealing hearts on the internet with his huge eyes and cuddly personality.
But while this charmer is just as sleepy and adorable as any other baby, he’s also covered in hair.
Flash, a Linnaeus’s two-toed sloth, came to Carousel Acres last month after the farm and petting zoo bought him from a Florida vet who raises animals for zoos.
The farm, located on Nine Mile Road, is also home to Priscilla, an approximately year-old female sloth. She’s also very cute, but wasn’t handled by humans from birth. As a result, she’s not into being held, said Carousel Acres owner Tammy Iaconelli.
“I can brush her, I can pet her — but Flash likes to cuddle and be sweet. He’s the best thing,” Iaconelli said. “When I call his name he looks up at me and holds his arms out like, ‘Hold me!’”
Flash and Priscilla are just two of the dozens of animals who call Carousel Acres home. Other residents include kangaroos, reindeer, horses, tortoises, foxes and a zonkey (a cross between a zebra and donkey).
The farm is now open daily for the season but Iaconelli cautioned that Flash isn’t out and about every day. In fact, sloths are nocturnal, so he’s usually asleep during open hours.
The best way to meet him is to schedule a 30-minute, up-close encounter, which costs $65 per person. Visitors can call ahead to schedule a time to meet Flash or one of the farm’s other animals, Iaconelli said.
Flash lives a pretty low-key lifestyle. He enjoys playing in his enclosure and is still on a strict diet of baby food until he’s old enough to try other foods like zucchini, mango and green beans, which are Priscilla’s personal favorite, Iaconelli said.
“He climbs around in his cage forward and back and goes up and down his slide,” she said. “During the day he’s usually just sleeping.”
Iaconelli stressed that Carousel Acres is fully licensed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and carries a million-dollar insurance policy. The company has been in business since 1993 and was initially started as a mobile petting zoo, bringing animals to schools, places of worship and community events.
“Animals mean a lot to us,” she said. “We take the time and do a lot of research to make sure what we do is right.”
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Cuddly baby sloth melts hearts at Michigan petting farm
Reporting by Max Reinhart, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
