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Giving Animals Some Extra Love at The Florida Aquarium This Valentine’s Day

Sloth eating heart shaped strawberry at the Florida Aquarium

February 14, 2025

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Tampa, FL (February 14, 2025) – Love is in the air at The Florida Aquarium! This Valentine’s Day, the Aquarium’s Animal Care team is celebrating the holiday with specially crafted enrichment activities. From festive treats to engaging toys, these thoughtful additions provide essential mental and physical stimulation for the animals, while creating a unique experience for guests to enjoy.

>> CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD VIDEO & PHOTOS

OF THE ANIMALS EXPLORING THEIR VALENTINE’S DAY TREATS <<

Courtesy: The Florida Aquarium

The Aquarium’s Animal Ambassador team prepared heartwarming surprises, including heart-shaped strawberries and ice treats in vibrant colors infused with favorite snacks like fish and mice frozen inside.

North American River Otters: Huron, Kraken, and Brandon received ice treats providing an opportunity to forage for their food in a different way, plus Valentine’s-themed hula hoops encourage activity.

Ring-tailed Lemurs: Lulu and the lemur troop explored a new feeding challenge—strawberries on skewers, prompting problem-solving skills and natural foraging behaviors.

Radiated Tortoise: Night, the tortoise, got a rare serving of strawberries—a delight since tortoises are typically offered fruit only once a week.

Linnaeus’s Two-toed Sloth: Liana and Apaporis were introduced to a novel taste experience with strawberries, enriching their diets with an uncommon food item.

Southern Tamandua: Cayenne, the tamandua (tuh-man-dew-uh), engaged in a unique dining challenge. Since he primarily laps up liquids and tiny insects with his tongue, receiving whole food items required him to use his nails to shred and eat his treat.

These specialized enrichment activities are part of The Florida Aquarium’s ongoing commitment to animal care and welfare. Guests can learn more about upcoming events and plan their visit at flaquarium.org.

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