Recently, over a dozen sloths were rescued from a struggling tourist attraction in Florida, where thirty-one animals had tragically died while in captivity prior to the facility’s opening.
On Friday, thirteen sloths were brought to safety from Sloth World in Orlando and are now receiving care from veterinary professionals at the Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Garden.
The zoo shared on Sunday that all thirteen sloths, including one that is critically ill and another that is pregnant, made it through a second night of rehabilitation, monitored 24/7 by veterinarians.
Many of these delightful three-toed sloths arrived at the zoo in poor condition, dehydrated and underweight. A few required more intensive treatment, but initial signs of recovery are promising.
Currently, all the sloths are in quarantine, expected to stay isolated for at least 30 days. Thankfully, they are eating and drinking well, and medical care will be provided as needed.
The Central Florida Zoo has taken temporary ownership of these tree-dwelling creatures while they seek permanent placements at accredited facilities.
Just a day before the rescue, Sloth World Orlando, nearing bankruptcy, was ordered to stop operations after an investigation revealed the alarming number of sloths that had already perished in captivity.
In light of these troubling findings, the owner of Sloth World, Ben Agresta, confirmed plans to shut down the world’s first Slotharium and file for bankruptcy protection.
“It’s a tough situation for everyone,” Agresta said. “With the sloth population being completely controlled by AZA and with no plans to remain open, I expect it to go bankrupt very soon.”
This turmoil began back in December 2024 when Sloth World received its first shipment of sloths from Guyana. Sadly, more than twenty of them died shortly after arriving due to exposure to cold.
The animals were kept in an off-site warehouse—just two minutes from the scheduled opening—lacking basic necessities like electricity or running water.
The former owner had attempted to set up heating but faced issues that led to the death of 21 sloths when a fuse blew, according to previous reports.
A few months later, another shipment came from Peru, but again, two of the sloths were dead upon arrival, and the rest appeared malnourished and in dire health, with many subsequently dying.
Concerns regarding conditions at Sloth World Orlando were raised by various conservationists and activists online, including U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost, who criticized the treatment of the sloths, calling conditions “the worst possible.”
Late on Friday, the owners of Sloth World released a statement attributing the sloth deaths to an “unknown virus,” disputing claims circulating online.
Agresta expressed that there was misinformation spreading and asserted that infected sloths rarely exhibited symptoms that could be detected post-mortem.
He emphasized that the staff never harmed the animals and was dedicated to their care and education about sloths, claiming, “Nothing we could have done could prevent an unknown virus.”
