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‘Truly unacceptable:’ Lawmakers Demand Accountability in Sloth World Animal Deaths
Necropsy reports found serious health issues and improper feeding as more than 30 sloths died under the attraction’s care.
On Wednesday, Costa Rican experts Rebecca Cliffe of the Sloth Conservation Foundation and Sam Trull of the Sloth Institute revealed that at least 55 sloths died after being imported by the never-opened Orlando attraction Sloth World, demanding accountability from Florida officials.
Sloth World imported animals from Guyana and Peru, housing them in an unheated warehouse without electricity or water, conditions that triggered viral infections and deaths from 'cold stun' caused by faulty space heaters.
Following rescue by the Central Florida Zoo, necropsy records confirmed severe health issues in the 13 surviving sloths, though three—Dumpling, Habanero, and Bandit—have since died from their conditions.
Attorney General James Uthmeier announced a criminal probe last Friday, yet State Attorney Monique Worrell said her office remains in 'preliminary discussions' about which agency will lead the investigation.
Florida State Rep. Anna Eskamani and U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost are pushing for stricter import regulations and animal abuse charges, arguing the deaths expose a failure of government oversight and inadequate animal protection laws.