Sloth World is rapidly approaching a grand opening on Orlando’s International Drive, its executives say.
The 7,500-square-foot facility will be home to more than 40 sloths living in a rainforest-inspired setting. And while it will operate near the heart of Central Florida’s tourism district, its mission is more scientific in nature, says Ben Agresta, owner and president of Sloth World.
“We want people to know that there’s really four, kind of core, things to Sloth World — conservation, education, research and a gentle bit of entertainment value,” Agresta said.
The attraction — which he calls a Slotharium — is expected to open in February.
Sloth World visitors will wander in small groups through the experience on a guided tour that lasts about an hour.
“You’re going to experience what a sloth really does,” Agresta said, adding that the setting should encourage their natural behaviors.
“There’s no cages, there’s no screens, there’s no enclosures, there’s no hidden rooms and secret passages,” he said. “It’s a completely decked-out rainforest. The temperatures are accurate, the humidity is accurate, the air exchange is accurate. Their food is perfect, their veterinary care is perfect. There are no predators. There are no diseases for them to catch.”
Admission will help support research efforts for the species, which is found only in Central and South America.
“We’re hoping that a lot of people who want to see how they [sloths] really live and really operate and what they can do to help are the people that are going to help really expand the horizons of the least-studied animal on the planet,” Agresta said.
Sloths, which naturally live a slow-paced life, have worldwide appeal, said Pete Bandre, Sloth World’s vice president and head of animal care.
“It’s just an animal that really gets people’s hearts, and it gives us a great opportunity to expose an animal that’s really not very well-known,” he said.
Although Sloth World will be situated amid hotels, restaurants, T-shirt shops and the general hubbub of I-Drive, its design is referred to as “intentionally calm.” It’s also soundproof, Agresta said.
“They won’t hear anything from you outside. They’re barely going to hear you inside…. We make our own thundershowers and make our own sounds,” he said. “So, the sloths … they have no idea it’s International Drive.”
In keeping with the natural-habitat concept, visitors will not be allowed to touch the animals or otherwise be disruptive, Agresta says.
“You will not hold a sloth. You get to see them. We’re not high-fiving them,” he says. “You will not use your camera’s flash. You will not make sudden noises and jittery movements. … The sloths will not be climbing on you.”
Sloth pregnancies will help maintain the business’s population.
“Several South American countries have been granted the permission to release animals from the wild into captivity. Most of those go to the United States to zoos and educational facilities,” Bandre said.
Gathering a large number of sloths serves multiple purposes. For the I-Drive location, it will increase the odds of activity for visitors. Sloths are a sleepy bunch, Agresta said.
And having a formidable set of animals, along with their medical data, will be of value to researchers, Agresta says.
“A large captive population of sloths is very beneficial to the scientific community right now, having different sets of bloods that you can follow up with later,” he said. “If you have to do your research in the wild, you have to find the sloth again. … Good luck with that.”
The animals are not an endangered species, but the threat of climate change could have drastic effects on their future, Agresta said.
“It’s time to research these animals and to learn as much as we can,” he said.
Presale tickets, priced at $49, are now available for Sloth World, which will be located at 6582 International Drive. For purchases and more information, go to slothworld.com.