Sloths, other exotic animals taken from Washington state home

OLYMPIA, Wash. -- Sloths and other exotic animals have been confiscated from a home here. CBS Seattle affiliate KIRO-TV reports that South American tree sloths, an Asian monitor lizard and other reptiles and insects were taken Saturday.

The station says the owners are licensed as a sloth rescue group in Oregon but couldn't produce any paperwork showing the animals could be legally owned in Washington state.

A tree sloth can sell for $5,000 to $7,000, KIRO-TV points out.

Courtney Mclees of Thurston County Animal Services said that the owners' website shows they do meet-and-greets and sometimes sleepovers with the animals.

Mclees told KIRO-TV, "We were kind of concerned that they'd been breeding (the sloths) as well, as one of them did have a baby and one was pregnant."

KIRO-TV says the animals have been taken to a private sanctuary for now.