{"id":245482,"date":"2026-04-24T23:49:09","date_gmt":"2026-04-24T23:49:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/245482\/"},"modified":"2026-04-24T23:49:09","modified_gmt":"2026-04-24T23:49:09","slug":"sloth-world-will-not-open-following-dozens-of-animal-deaths-report","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/245482\/","title":{"rendered":"Sloth World will not open following dozens of animal deaths: report"},"content":{"rendered":"

A planned International Drive attraction called Sloth World will not open following dozens of animal deaths, conservation groups said late Friday, as 13 remaining sloths were placed\u00a0in the care of animal experts at Central Florida Zoo & Biological Gardens.<\/a><\/p>\n

The 13 sloths arrived Friday and are in quarantine at the Sanford zoo, said Richard E. Glover, CEO of the zoo<\/a>.\u00a0Sloth World owner Ben Agresta reached out to zoo officials early in the week, Glover said.<\/p>\n

In a joint statement, the Sloth Conservation Foundation and the Sloth Institute, two international conservation groups, said Sloth World would be closing permanently. The attraction had been announced in December as a guided, walk-through tour with an emphasis on conservation and education. It was initially scheduled to begin public tours in February, and reportedly has sold many advance VIP tickets at $49 each.<\/p>\n

Agresta did not respond to interview requests from the Orlando Sentinel on Friday.<\/p>\n

The animals at the zoo will remain in quarantine for 30 days and will not be available to the public, Glover said. \u201cThey approached us \u2026 and we said, \u2018Yes, we\u2019d be happy to take them,’\u201d Glover said. \u201cWe had to go through everything internally to make sure we had the quarantine space, and everything planned, staffing-wise.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"CentralSloths once destined for Sloth World, a planned attraction on International Drive, were moved to Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens on Friday. (Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens)<\/p>\n

News reports last week<\/a> established that at least 31 sloths have died since late 2024 in a converted warehouse about a mile from the actual Sloth World location. The conservation groups said another 24 sloths obtained by Sloth World are unaccounted for.<\/p>\n

On Friday, Sloth World\u2019s website switched to a bare-bones look with the message \u201cPardon our dust! We\u2019re working on something amazing \u2014 Check back soon!\u201d The site previously touted future plans for Sloth World, described conservation efforts and sold tickets and sloth-related merchandise.<\/p>\n

Also on Friday, Orange County said a county building inspector had sought access to the warehouse because it does not have a required permit to hold animals, but was unable to gain entrance despite four separate attempts. The building had also been modified without a building permit. The county posted a stop-work order on the building, which had plywood animal cages stacked in the back even though the last use permit for the building allowed only vehicle storage.<\/p>\n

\"AnAn Orange County building inspector found these animal cages Thursday stacked behind a warehouse being used by Sloth World. (Courtesy: Orange County)<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Sloths are difficult to keep in captivity in part because they cannot regulate their body temperatures well, have very specific diets and get stressed easily.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey don\u2019t have a fight or flight response. If they\u2019re threatened, they can\u2019t run away, they can\u2019t defend themselves,\u201d Rebecca Cliffe, executive director of the Sloth Conservation Foundation, told the Sentinel Tuesday. \u201cSo what they do is just internalize the stress \u2026 they sort of close their eyes, hold on and just hope that everything passes by.\u201d<\/p>\n

Most sloth species are not considered endangered, though their populations are dwindling in their native Central and South American countries. Deforestation and urbanization are contributors.<\/p>\n

After agreeing to take the donation from Agresta, the zoo contacted the Association of Zoos and Aquariums<\/a> \u201cso that we could start working with them on what long-term placement was like,\u201d Glover said.<\/p>\n

One of the AZA\u2019s missions is its Species Survival Plans, which use accredited zoos to support long-term sustainability and reproduction. The 13 sloths are Hoffmann\u2019s two-toed sloths and Linnaeus\u2019s two-toed sloths.<\/p>\n

\u201cMost of them will go somewhere else to be able to be part of the breeding population at other institutions \u2026 but we will be able to probably keep a few,\u201d Glover said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t know exactly what condition they\u2019re coming in at, so we\u2019re assessing that right now,\u201d Glover said Friday. \u201cWe\u2019re also going in with our eyes open, realizing some of them may be far enough along with issues that we may be able to make things a little easier for them, but we still may not be able to save them,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\"EmployeesEmployees of Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens set up enclosures to house sloths donated to the zoo Friday. (Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens)<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

In December, Agresta described to the Sentinel his plans for the attraction as a home for guided walk-through tours among sloths living in a re-created rainforest setting. He expected to have at least 40 sloths in the building.<\/p>\n

By that time, inspectors for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission<\/a> had collected details about the deaths of 31 sloths imported from Guyana and Peru via Miami International Airport in late 2024 and early 2025. The first 21 were taken to the warehouse, which had neither electricity nor water. Space heaters were added, but a tripped fuse kept the animals in the cold for at least one night.\u00a0 Later, 10 more sloths were delivered to Florida, but two were dead on arrival, and the others died due to health issues, an incident report said.<\/p>\n

FWC detailed the warehouse conditions in a report of an August 2025 inspection disclosed by Inside Climate News<\/a>. Some information in the state report<\/a> was provided by Peter Bandre, who \u2014 at the time \u2014 was Sloth World\u2019s vice president and a business partner of Agresta. Bandre has since left Sloth World.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve cared for sloths at this zoo for decades, so our team has a lot of experience with them,\u201d Glover said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe do know we are going to have considerable expenses we weren\u2019t expecting in taking care of these animals. We have launched some fundraising opportunities on the website [centralfloridazoo.org<\/a>] where people can donate if they would like to be part of this.\u201d<\/p>\n

U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost, a Democrat who represents Orlando, criticized Sloth World on social media after reports of the dead sloths first broke and even sent a letter to the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture asking for an investigation into the planned attraction.<\/p>\n

\u201cI felt horrible\u2026I was disgusted,\u201d Frost said in a Friday interview with the Orlando Sentinel. \u201cBecause at the end of the day, like many other issues, it\u2019s the want of money over the welfare of people or animals.\u201d<\/p>\n

Frost on Friday said he was happy to hear Sloth World would not be opening but said he will continue to push for an investigation.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis can happen again because of the loopholes within our system and because of the lack of coordination between state and federal officials,\u201d he said. \u201cSo there\u2019s still work to be done here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sentinel reporters Stephen Hudak and Silas Morgan contributed to this article.<\/p>\n

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