31 Sloths Acquired by an Orlando Animal Attraction Died, Officials Say

Thirty-one sloths that had been acquired by a planned animal attraction in Orlando featuring the peculiar creatures died soon after they were imported into the United States, many of them from a lack of heat at a warehouse that was not authorized to keep wildlife, state and county officials said.

The deaths occurred between December 2024 and February 2025, but only recently came to light in a newly released report by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, which found several violations when it inspected the warehouse in August.

The report was obtained earlier by Inside Climate News, an environmental journalism nonprofit.

The findings have drawn intense criticism to the not-yet-open attraction in Orlando, which is called Sloth World and describes itself on its website as “rainforest-inspired indoor habitat where more than 40 sloths live on their terms” and the “the world’s only ‘Slotharium.’”

Sloth World’s president, Benjamin Agresta, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Mr. Agresta, told Fox 35 Orlando on Friday that Sloth World had abandoned its plans to open and would file for bankruptcy. All of its remaining sloths were under the “full control” of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, he said.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/24/us/sloth-deaths-orlando.html