13 surviving sloths from Sloth World delivered to Central Florida Zoo in Sanford
By Gail Paschall-Brown
Click here for updates on this story
ORLANDO, Florida (WESH) — Sloth World, a planned attraction on International Drive in Orlando, has permanently closed before opening after Florida Fish and Wildlife officials uncovered details of 31 sloth deaths at a nearby warehouse.
Thirteen surviving sloths from Sloth World were delivered Friday to the Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens in Sanford, where they are now being housed and cared for. Richard Glover, CEO of the Central Florida Zoo, said his team quickly set up quarantine areas for the animals after being contacted earlier in the week.
“They reached out on Monday and said, you know, would you be interested in taking some animals as a donation?” Glover said.
The sloths, imported from Guyana and Peru, will remain in quarantine for 30 days to assess their medical conditions.
“We have cared for sloths for decades here at the Central Florida Zoo, so we have the team that understands what they need and how to care for them,” Glover said. “So we’re prepared, we’re ready, and we want to give them the best chance they can have.”
Glover added, “How long will they be here at the Central Florida Zoo? That’s a good question. They’ll be here at least 30 days. Some of them will be here permanently, maybe a few, but the rest of them will be placed with AZA-accredited zoos like us, across the country.”
The closure of Sloth World follows an unannounced inspection by Florida Fish and Wildlife last month, which revealed the facility was clean, including its food preparation area.
“Each enclosure is spot cleaned daily. The food prep area was very clean,” Florida Fish and Wildlife officials said.
However, a spokesperson for Orange County noted that the building was last inspected in 2021 and was only permitted to store cars, not animals.
Congressman Maxwell Frost criticized Sloth World, saying, “You killed 31 sloths. You don’t know what the hell you’re doing. You’re trying to evade accountability from both the public and the government.”
Frost later posted on social media, “Good news: Sloth World has been shut down and will not open… I’ll keep fighting for accountability and animal welfare.”
The Central Florida Zoo anticipates medical expenses and testing for the sloths will cost thousands of dollars. The zoo plans to provide updates on the animals and welcomes donations to support their care.
Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.