More than 30 sloths died at an Orlando attraction before it opened, prompting state investigators to shut down \u201cSloth World\u201d as surviving animals are relocated to the Central Florida Zoo. \u2013 A planned tourist attraction along International Drive has been shut down before ever opening its doors after state investigators say more than 30 sloths died while in the care of the business.<\/p>\n
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the facility known as \u201cSloth World\u201d faced mounting backlash in recent days, prompting state leaders to confirm the attraction will not move forward.<\/p>\n
State Rep. Anna Eskamani said public pressure played a key role in the decision to close the business before it opened.<\/p>\n
Investigators say the animals were not housed at the main attraction site, but instead kept at a separate facility about a mile away along International Drive.<\/p>\n
An incident report from FWC details what happened in December 2024, when the owners were expecting a shipment of several dozen sloths from Guyana and Peru. A staff member told investigators the animals arrived before the facility was properly prepared to house them.<\/p>\n
According to the report, the building where the sloths were kept did not have electricity at the time. During a cold spell, workers attempted to use space heaters powered by an extension cord from a neighboring building, but the effort was not enough.<\/p>\n
In total, 31 sloths died, investigators said.<\/p>\n
The remaining animals have since been relocated. Officials at the Central Florida Zoo say they received a call earlier this week asking if they could take in 13 surviving sloths.<\/p>\n
Zoo staff spent days preparing a temporary habitat before transporting the animals Friday morning.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur team went out there and picked the animals up, and it took maybe three hours to move them out of their exhibit and back here,\u201d said CEO Richard Glover.<\/p>\n
The sloths are now being held in quarantine for 30 days, where they will undergo testing to check for any potential illnesses. Zoo officials say special care was taken to prepare the enclosure to meet the animals\u2019 needs.<\/p>\n
\u201cSloths need things to climb on and things to be comfortable on,\u201d Glover said. \u201cWe had a team that worked all day to get things ready.\u201d<\/p>\n
The closure has also drawn attention from federal leaders. On Friday, U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost posted on social media that the facility \u201chas been shut down and will not open,\u201d thanking local officials and advocates for raising awareness.<\/p>\n
It remains unclear when Sloth World had planned to open. Workers at the site said they had not been informed about the decision to cancel the project, and the interior of the building appears unfinished.<\/p>\n
Attempts to reach the owners for comment have been unsuccessful. <\/p>\n
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