Baby Sloths Have Mange So Bad, Vet Forced to Shave Them to Kill the Bugs
Ever heard about the Sloth Sanctuary of Costa Rica? This very special animal reserve was founded by Judy Avey-Arroyo and Luis Arroyo, and describes itself as “the original rescue center for injured, orphaned, and abandoned sloths.”
Many of the sloths — being sloths, and therefore completely stinkin’ adorable — have become beloved social media sensations. Tiny twins Violet and Sebastian are just one recent example, and their viral video is about to make your day.
It was discovered that both of these little orphaned sweethearts were suffering from a serious form of mange.
A mama sloth’s milk is filled with health-boosting antibodies, so apparently orphaned sloths can be more prone to infections like this.
Unfortunately, the nearly microscopic mites that cause this mange like to hide out in fur. This meant that both Violet and Sebastian needed head-to-toe haircuts as part of their cure.
The multi-step remedy basically began with a gentle buzz cut. All that fluffy brown hair had to be clipped away, down to the skin.
But exposed skin would be pretty sensitive and defenseless. So rescuers next slathered the sloths in a healing, nourishing balm made of sulfur and lard.
Avey-Arroyo told media outlets that sulfur helps suffocate any remaining mites, while lard provides soothing moisture and hydration.
Of course, the mixture also results in two tiny creatures who look like they’ve been covered in cake frosting.
So as a finishing touch that instantly sent the entire internet swooning, each buttered-up baby was swaddled in colorful bandages resembling the world’s smallest onesies.
From a functional standpoint, this charming fashion statement prevented any licking or nibbling.
Apparently, Violet and Sebastian just wanted to make sure we’d all reached total cuteness overload.
So these onesie-clad wonders hunkered down for a friendly snuggle in their cribs, teaming up to make treatment more tolerable.
It was eventually discovered that Sebastian might be a bit more comfortable in looser coverings. Accordingly, rescuers stitched together a custom one-piece pair of jammies from plain white socks.
This was just what the doctor ordered, leaving Sebastian to cuddle more freely with his sister as they continued to lounge and recuperate.
Utterly captivated, a fast-growing social media audience likewise lounged beside monitors and smartphone screens — watching this heart-melting pair over, and over, and over.
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