Nearly 30 sloths died from sickness and cold temperatures at a Florida animal import warehouse in 2024 and 2025, according to a state report from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The inspection report, dated August 2025, revealed that 21 sloths imported from Guyana perished at Sanctuary World Imports in Orlando in December 2024 when temperatures fell to between 40 and 55 degrees Fahrenheit (4.4 to 12.8 degrees Celsius).
Sloths struggle to regulate their body temperature, thriving best in the 68 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit (20 to 30 degrees Celsius) range, as noted by the United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. Peter Bandre, the facility licensee listed in the report, described the deaths as a "cold stun." He stated that the building lacked water and electricity and was not prepared to receive the animals, but it was too late to cancel the shipment. Space heaters were purchased but tripped a fuse, leaving the sloths without heat for at least one night.
In February 2025, the facility received 10 sloths from Peru. Two were found dead upon arrival, and the remaining animals appeared emaciated, eventually dying from "poor health issues," according to the report. Bandre mentioned plans to hire a new veterinarian, the facility's third, as per the state report. Bandre did not respond to a message left by The Associated Press at a number listed for Sanctuary World Imports on the August report.
Follow-up state inspections in March 2026 indicated that Sanctuary World President Benjamin Agresta had renamed the business to Sloth World Inc., with Bandre no longer affiliated. A voicemail and text to Sloth World Inc. were not immediately returned. Inspectors noted that the March inspections at the facility where the Guyanese sloths died showed independent heat and air conditioning systems maintaining a constant temperature of 82 degrees Fahrenheit (27.8 degrees Celsius), and no issues were observed with the sloths currently held.
