ORLANDO, Fla. \u2014 Mr. Ginger, one of the sloths transferred to the Central Florida Zoo for treatment following the closure of Sloth World, died Friday, bringing the number of deaths tied to the ill-fated attraction to 56.<\/p>\n
The sloth, estimated to have been just four to six months old, was the youngest sloth to arrive at the zoo from International Drive attraction, which announced it would not open following the deaths of dozens of other sloths in its care.<\/p>\n
The deaths in a warehouse before Sloth World opened to the public ignited outrage from animal rights groups, calls for a criminal investigation and Florida\u2019s decision this week to at least temporarily ban the import of any more sloths into the state. The sloths had been imported from Guyana and Peru.<\/p>\n
Zoo officials took in the 13 still-living sloths and said Mr. Ginger arrived in \u201cextremely fragile condition.\u201d He had to be hand-fed every few hours while he spent most of his time in an incubator to regulate his temperature. He was euthanized after his condition failed to improve.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are heartbroken by the loss of Mr. Ginger,\u201d CEO Richard Glover said in a statement. \u201cFrom the moment Mr. Ginger arrived, our animal care and veterinary teams dedicated countless hours to providing intensive and specialized care. Mr. Ginger\u2019s condition was extremely fragile, but our staff remained committed to giving Mr. Ginger every opportunity possible.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr. Ginger\u2019s death follows that of three other sloths brought to the zoo on April 24. Those sloths \u2014 Bandit<\/a>, Habanero<\/a> and Dumpling<\/a> \u2014 were considered the most critically ill of the 13 two-toed sloths that arrived. They died within days of each other from emaciation, the zoo said, citing necropsy reports.<\/p>\n The cause of Mr. Ginger\u2019s death won\u2019t be determined until a necropsy is performed, which could take a few days.<\/p>\n State Rep. Anna Eskamani, the Orlando Democrat who has led the charge against Sloth World since news of the animal deaths became public, said Friday in a statement that, \u201cMr. Ginger\u2019s story should never have been written the way it was.\u201d<\/p>\n The sloths shipped to Sloth World were \u201csentient, vulnerable animals, enjoying life in the forest, who were then exploited for a quick buck by operators who treated their welfare as an afterthought,\u201d Eskamani said. \u201cWe owe Mr. Ginger \u2014 and all the sloths who have lost their lives \u2014 more than mourning. We owe them action.\u201d<\/p>\n Sloth World was slated to open in the I-Drive corridor until Inside Climate News uncovered 31 deaths from December 2024 to February 2025. Twenty-one of those sloths, according to reports, died of \u201ccold stun\u201d caused by faulty space heaters inside warehouse on a cold winter night. The rest died from infections shortly after arriving to the United States from Peru.<\/p>\n Another 21 deaths were discovered through necropsy reports released by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.<\/p>\n