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Socialite Tamara Ecclestone slammed by fans for buying exotic pet for her daughter
One fan accused the mum of two of spoiling her eldest daughter
SOCIALITE Tamara Ecclestone got her daughter a sloth as a birthday gift — and people have been far from slow to criticise.
The mega-rich heiress, 39, shared a snap of 10-year-old Sophia with one of the world’s laziest creatures.
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Sloths enjoy a solitary life in South American rainforests and can get agitated in captivity, clawing humans who touch.
One of Tamara’s Instagram followers, Sarah Shaw, warned her: “Unlike household animals, they don’t like to be touched.
"They don’t like humans either. These creatures are NOT for your enjoyment.”
Another accused the mum of two of spoiling her eldest daughter, posting: “‘Mummy, get me a sloth’. ‘Sure princess, anything you say.’”
Another Insta user raged: “Horrific. How shocking. This is nothing more than animal abuse.”
The mammal was seen hanging on a branch at what appeared to be Tamara’s London home, with Sophia and sis Serena, three.
Tamara has 445,000 Instagram followers - including 4,580 who liked her sloth snap which appeared to have been taken at her luxurious London mansion.
The picture showed smiling Sophia - nicknamed Fifi by her family - with the sloth clinging to a branch captioned: “Special birthday morning” with three love hearts.
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Another post showed Tamara and husband Jay Rutland posing with Sophia at a lavish birthday bash laid on by party planners.
It was captioned: “What a weekend celebrating our magical Fifi, the girl with the kindest heart.
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“Thank you to everyone that made her party so special.
“An unforgettable day celebrating double digits.”
Sloths - found in the rain forests of Central and South America - are famed for their slow metabolism and cuteness but are unsuitable as pets and thrive best in the wild.
They can become agitated in captivity and have been known to bite, claw and seriously wound humans who touch them.
Yesterday’s furore came seven years after the heiress - daughter of billionaire former F1 mogul Bernie - was slated for another post showing Sophie on a dyed pink horse dressed as a unicorn.
Tamara and her husband Jay Rutland, alongside their two kids, live in one of London's priciest residential streets.
The £70m mansion, which has 57 rooms, is one of dreams, and in 2019 it was burgled, with £26 million worth of jewellery stolen, despite 24-hour security in the area.
The culprits were not apprehended until 2021.
When the family-of-four aren't spending time at their pad, they're on luxurious holidays.
From the ski slopes of Switzerland, to the sunny beaches in Dubai, the Ecclestone Rutland family go off the scale when it comes to trips abroad.
Last year, Tamara and hubby Jay whisked the kids off to Disney World, in Florida, Switzerland and Dubai.
No expense is spared for either of the girls' birthdays either.
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For Sophia’s first birthday, Tamara pulled out all the stops with a £70,000 farmyard celebration.
Tamara was approached for comment yesterday.
Rules on owning exotic animals in the UK
According to the Government website you need a licence to keep some animals considered to be wild, dangerous or exotic, as pets.
You can apply to your local council for a licence to keep a wild animal.
Sloths however, do not fall into the category of needing a license.