The mistreatment of sloths - Neotropical xenarthran mammals - in the UK is an absolute disgrace and their being kept as 'pets' must be banned.

As Google points out: "You CAN legally keep sloths in the UK because they are neither classified as dangerous nor invasive. But you need a really big enclosure, the necessary skills, and the right amount of cash to properly care for them. They are no pets for your 'average Joe.'"

The decision by convicted criminal fraudster Bernie Ecclestone's spoilt socialite daughter Tamara Ecclestone to have someone bring one to her Kensington mansion last March for one of her spoilt children to "play" with for her 10th birthday highlighted how these innocent creatures are being exploited. It was unsurprising that the incident caused public outrage.

Sloths are solitary creatures with a desire to be left alone, thus unlike household animals, they do not like to be touched. They should NOT be the playthings of children; they should be left alone in suitable environmental conditions and preferably left in the the tropical rainforests of South and Central America.

The keeping of sloths as pets in the United Kingdom should be banned by Sir Keir Starmer's Labour government as a priority.

Please support this petition and share widely; the sloths will thank you.

Some facts about sloths:

• Sloths spend most of their lives hanging upside down in the trees of the tropical rainforests of South America and Central America.
• Sloths are so named because of their very low metabolism and deliberate movements. "Sloth" is literal for "slow."
• Sloths have colour vision but have poor visual acuity. They also have poor hearing. Thus, they rely on their sense of smell and touch to find food.
• Sloths are almost helpless on the ground, but are able to swim.
• Sloths move only when necessary and even then, very slowly. They usually move at an average speed of 4 m (13 ft) per minute but can move at a marginally higher speed of 4.5 m (15 ft) per minute if they are in immediate danger from a predator.
• Sloths are surprisingly strong swimmers and can reach speeds of 13.5 m (44 ft) per minute.
• The sloth's shaggy coat has grooved hair that is host to symbiotic green algae. It camouflages the animal in the trees and provides it nutrients.
• Sloths are solitary animals that rarely interact with one another except during breeding season, though female sloths do sometimes congregate, more so than do males.