Nine dehydrated and underweight sloths saved from a Florida warehouse are on the mend, with zoo officials saying the creatures’ personalities “are beginning to shine through.”
Rescue and Recovery
Last month, 13 sickly two-toed sloths that were meant to be part of Sloth World Orlando, an attraction that never opened, were rescued from a warehouse in Orange County and brought to the Central Florida Zoo for emergency care, according to Fox 35. Sloth World was marketed as the world’s only “slothnarium” and was expected to open in March, until the company announced it was abandoning its plan to open and would file for bankruptcy after more than 50 of the sloths shipped to Florida for the attraction died.
Four of the sloths — Bandit, Habanero, Dumpling and Mr. Ginger — were in critical condition and later died, the zoo reported. Two sloths, Chewie and Dolce, were released from intensive care on Friday, while seven others remain under close observation by the zoo’s animal care and veterinary teams.
Personalities Emerging
“As the weeks go on, their personalities are really starting to shine through. We’re seeing more natural sloth behaviors, more curiosity, and more moments that make us hopeful for their continued progress,” the zoo said in a Friday update. The zoo shared photos of each surviving sloth: Leeloo, Blackberry, Chewie, Dolce, Hazel, Mojo Jojo, Pearl, Phantom, and Willow. “We’re really excited to finally share photos of these incredible animals with you, and in the coming weeks, we look forward to introducing each sloth individually, sharing more about their unique personalities!” the zoo added.
Investigation and Aftermath
The deaths of over 50 sloths imported to Florida for the attraction sparked widespread outcry among Florida officials. The animals had been exported to the United States from Central and South America between December 2024 and March 2026. They were then stored in at least two makeshift warehouses in Orlando and Orange County, according to the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). One warehouse was permitted to store vehicles, not animals, and another lacked electricity and running water, but officials were told it was “too late to cancel the shipment,” according to an FWC incident report.
Most deaths were linked to “cold stun,” a condition caused by exposure to low temperatures. Space heaters were brought in to address the temperatures, but the fuse tripped, leaving the animals without heat for at least one night, officials said. Sloth World was owned by Peter Bandre and Ben Agresta, but Bandre left the company earlier this year. Agresta denied FWC records claiming the building lacked electricity or water and blamed the sloths’ deaths on a virus rather than cold stun. “There is so much false and inaccurate information out there right now. The truth is, we lost sloths that had a virus of which showed barely any symptoms and was undetectable even after necropsy,” he said in a statement.
On Tuesday, the Sloth World website appeared to no longer be live. After the 13 sloths were taken to the Central Florida Zoo, Agresta said he would no longer open the attraction and would file for bankruptcy. Meanwhile, the FWC has issued a nearly 60-day ban on importing sloths to Florida. Florida Attorney James Uthmeier said his office was assisting State Attorney Monique Worrell’s office with an “ongoing criminal investigation” into Sloth World.
