PARK, HAYLEY CROMBLEHOLME WESH TWO NEWS. ALL RIGHT, STAY SAFE OUT THERE. HAYLEY DEVELOPING THIS EVENING. SLOTH WORLDS CLOSING BEFORE IT EVEN OPEN THE PLANNED. I-DRIVE ATTRACTION WON’T OPEN ITS DOORS AFTER WILDLIFE OFFICIALS UNCOVERED NEW DETAILS ON HOW 31 SLOTHS ALL DIED AT WESH 2’S GAIL PASCHALL-BROWN IN STUDIO GAIL 13. SLOTHS GOT TODAY TO THE CENTRAL FLORIDA ZOO. YES, THEY DID INDEED, AND THE CEO OF THE CENTRAL FLORIDA ZOO SAY THEY’RE GETTING THE BEST CARE POSSIBLE. RIGHT NOW. THEY’RE UNDERGOING SOME TESTING, AND THESE SLOTHS ARE NOW BASICALLY GOING TO GET SOME PHYSICAL ASSESSMENTS, AND THEN THERE’LL BE SOME BLOOD AND URINE SAMPLES. 13 WILL BE QUARANTINED FOR 30 DAYS. THEY REACHED OUT ON MONDAY AND SAID, YOU KNOW, WOULD YOU BE INTERESTED IN TAKING SOME ANIMALS AS A DONATION? THEY REFERS TO SLOTH WORLD IN ORLANDO. AND RICHARD GLOVER, CEO OF THE CENTRAL FLORIDA ZOO IN SANFORD, SAID HIS TEAM WAS EAGER AND WASTED NO TIME SETTING UP THE QUARANTINE AREAS FOR 13 SLOTHS, WHICH WERE DELIVERED TO THE ZOO ON FRIDAY AT THE REQUEST OF SLOTH WORLD. THIS ALL COMES AFTER FLORIDA FISH AND WILDLIFE SHARED DETAILS OF THE DEATHS OF 31 SLOTHS IN LATE 2024 AND EARLY 2025 AT A WAREHOUSE ON INTERNATIONAL DRIVE, LESS THAN FIVE MILES AWAY FROM SLOTH WORLD. A SPOKESPERSON FOR ORANGE COUNTY SAID. THE LAST INSPECTION WAS 2021 AND THE BUILDING WAS PERMITTED TO STORE CARS, NOT ANIMALS. HOWEVER, AN FWC UNANNOUNCED INSPECTION LAST MONTH SHOWED THE FACILITY WAS CLEAN AND THE FOOD AREA VERY CLEAN. REGARDLESS OF CONDITIONS. CONGRESSMAN MAXWELL FROST SAID. 31 SLOTS. YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT THE HELL YOU’RE DOING. YOU’RE TRYING TO EVADE ACCOUNTABILITY FROM BOTH THE PUBLIC AND THE GOVERNMENT, HE LATER TWEETED. GOOD NEWS SLOTH WORLD HAS BEEN SHUT DOWN AND WILL NOT OPEN. I’LL KEEP FIGHTING FOR ACCOUNTABILITY AND ANIMAL WELFARE. RICHARD GLOVER SAYS THE 132 TOED SLOTHS HE RECEIVED FROM SLOTH WORLD WERE IMPORTED FROM GUYANA AND PERU. SOUTH AMERICA. THEY WILL BE QUARANTINED AT THE ZOO FOR 30 DAYS TO ASSESS WHAT KINDS OF MEDICAL CONDITIONS THEY’RE IN. WE HAVE CARED FOR SLOTHS FOR DECADES HERE AT THE CENTRAL FLORIDA ZOOS. WE HAVE THE TEAM THAT UNDERSTANDS WHAT THEY NEED AND HOW TO CARE FOR THEM. AND SO WE’RE WE’RE PREPARED, WE’RE READY, AND WE WANT TO GIVE THEM THE BEST CHANCE THEY CAN HAVE. HOW LONG WILL THEY BE HERE AT THE CENTRAL FLORIDA ZOO? SO THAT’S A GOOD QUESTION. THEY’LL BE HERE AT LEAST 30 DAYS. SOME OF THEM MAY BE WITH US PERMANENTLY, MAYBE A FEW, BUT THE REST OF THEM WILL BE PLACED AT AZA ACCREDITED ZOOS LIKE US ACROSS THE COUNTRY. AZA IS THE ASSOCIATION OF ZOOS AND AQUARIUMS AND MEETS THE HIGHEST STANDARDS IN ANIMAL CARE AND WELFARE, MEDICAL EXPENSES AND TESTING FOR THIS CENTRAL FLORIDA ZOO WILL NO DOUBT RUN INTO THE THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. THE ZOO WILL CONTINUE TO GIVE. UPDATES ON THE 13. AND IF YOU WANT TO DONATE IF YOU LIKE
13 surviving sloths from Sloth World delivered to Central Florida Zoo in Sanford
Updated: 10:14 PM EDT Apr 24, 2026
Sloth World, a planned attraction on International Drive in Orlando, has permanently closed before opening after Florida Fish and Wildlife officials uncovered details of 31 sloth deaths at a nearby warehouse. Thirteen surviving sloths from Sloth World were delivered Friday to the Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens in Sanford, where they are now being housed and cared for. Richard Glover, CEO of the Central Florida Zoo, said his team quickly set up quarantine areas for the animals after being contacted earlier in the week. “They reached out on Monday and said, you know, would you be interested in taking some animals as a donation?” Glover said. The sloths, imported from Guyana and Peru, will remain in quarantine for 30 days to assess their medical conditions. “We have cared for sloths for decades here at the Central Florida Zoo, so we have the team that understands what they need and how to care for them,” Glover said. “So we’re prepared, we’re ready, and we want to give them the best chance they can have.” Glover added, “How long will they be here at the Central Florida Zoo? That’s a good question. They’ll be here at least 30 days. Some of them will be here permanently, maybe a few, but the rest of them will be placed with AZA-accredited zoos like us, across the country.” The closure of Sloth World follows an unannounced inspection by Florida Fish and Wildlife last month, which revealed the facility was clean, including its food preparation area. “Each enclosure is spot cleaned daily. The food prep area was very clean,” Florida Fish and Wildlife officials said. However, a spokesperson for Orange County noted that the building was last inspected in 2021 and was only permitted to store cars, not animals. Congressman Maxwell Frost criticized Sloth World, saying, “You killed 31 sloths. You don’t know what the hell you’re doing. You’re trying to evade accountability from both the public and the government.” Frost later posted on social media, “Good news: Sloth World has been shut down and will not open… I’ll keep fighting for accountability and animal welfare.” The Central Florida Zoo anticipates medical expenses and testing for the sloths will cost thousands of dollars. The zoo plans to provide updates on the animals and welcomes donations to support their care.
ORLANDO, Fla. —
Sloth World, a planned attraction on International Drive in Orlando, has permanently closed before opening after Florida Fish and Wildlife officials uncovered details of 31 sloth deaths at a nearby warehouse.
Thirteen surviving sloths from Sloth World were delivered Friday to the Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens in Sanford, where they are now being housed and cared for. Richard Glover, CEO of the Central Florida Zoo, said his team quickly set up quarantine areas for the animals after being contacted earlier in the week.
“They reached out on Monday and said, you know, would you be interested in taking some animals as a donation?” Glover said.
The sloths, imported from Guyana and Peru, will remain in quarantine for 30 days to assess their medical conditions.
“We have cared for sloths for decades here at the Central Florida Zoo, so we have the team that understands what they need and how to care for them,” Glover said. “So we’re prepared, we’re ready, and we want to give them the best chance they can have.”
Glover added, “How long will they be here at the Central Florida Zoo? That’s a good question. They’ll be here at least 30 days. Some of them will be here permanently, maybe a few, but the rest of them will be placed with AZA-accredited zoos like us, across the country.”
The closure of Sloth World follows an unannounced inspection by Florida Fish and Wildlife last month, which revealed the facility was clean, including its food preparation area.
“Each enclosure is spot cleaned daily. The food prep area was very clean,” Florida Fish and Wildlife officials said.
However, a spokesperson for Orange County noted that the building was last inspected in 2021 and was only permitted to store cars, not animals.
Congressman Maxwell Frost criticized Sloth World, saying, “You killed 31 sloths. You don’t know what the hell you’re doing. You’re trying to evade accountability from both the public and the government.”
Frost later posted on social media, “Good news: Sloth World has been shut down and will not open… I’ll keep fighting for accountability and animal welfare.”
The Central Florida Zoo anticipates medical expenses and testing for the sloths will cost thousands of dollars. The zoo plans to provide updates on the animals and welcomes donations to support their care.