Florida ‘Sloth World’ enclosure shut down after dozens of sloths die

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I was so excited to hear about the new Slotharium coming to Orlando, but I just read the most heartbreaking news. Apparently, it’s been shut down before it even opened because over 30 sloths died while they were being cared for there. It’s just awful, and I feel so bad for those sweet animals.

Sloth World was originally planned to open in February 2026. It aimed to be the first of its kind – a ‘Slotharium’ – featuring a large, 7,500-square-foot space where visitors could observe over 40 sloths behaving as they naturally would – moving, eating, climbing, and resting.

Following reports of sloth deaths while in the care of Sloth World, the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has caused the habitat to close its doors for good.

FWC says sloths were kept in cold warehouse warmed by space heaters

A report from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), obtained by Fox 35 Orlando, shows that Sloth World received sloths in two separate shipments to stock its exhibit: one shipment came from Guyana in December 2024, and another from Peru in February 2025.

According to reports, one of the habitat owners told Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission that the facility wasn’t prepared for the sloths’ arrival – it lacked basic utilities like electricity and running water. However, by the time they realized this and tried to cancel, it was impossible to return the animals.

The sloths were kept in a warehouse very close to their enclosure at Sloth World. According to a report, the animals were being warmed with space heaters plugged into an outdoor extension cord. Unfortunately, the heaters overloaded the electrical system, causing a power outage. This left the sloths, who need temperatures between 81 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit, exposed to freezing temperatures of just 40 degrees.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission discovered that 21 sloths had died from cold stun, a dangerous condition where their body temperature dropped so low they couldn’t stay warm.

In addition to the two sloths who died during transport, the eight sloths that survived the journey were severely underweight and sick, and ultimately died from related health problems.

Because sloths can’t control their own body temperature like most mammals, they rely on the temperature around them to stay warm or cool, explains Dr. Rebecca Cliffe, who leads The Sloth Conservation Foundation.

Sloth World shut down & remaining sloths moved to Central Florida Zoo

One of the founders of Sloth World told the news source they had no involvement with the company anymore. Another founder strongly denied the FWC’s accusations, claiming the sloths died from a viral infection.

We’ve been dealing with a challenging situation involving a virus that originated outside the country. We’ve been working closely with our veterinarian, the Florida Department of Agriculture, and other specialists to identify and resolve the issue, and we’ve made good progress.

The owner explained that the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission inspected the property a week earlier and found everything to be in order. As a result, they completely renewed the license.

We’ve heard rumors suggesting our sloths were affected by cold temperatures or lacked basic necessities like water and power. These reports are untrue. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission recently inspected our facility and found everything to be in order, leading to a full renewal of our license.

Great news! Sloth World has permanently closed its doors. The 14 sloths that were living there have been rescued and are now receiving the care they need at the Central Florida Zoo. I want to thank local authorities, everyone who contacted my office, and the animal advocates who worked to make this happen. I will continue to advocate for animal welfare.

— Congressman Maxwell Alejandro Frost (@RepMaxwellFrost) April 24, 2026

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) explained to Fox 35 that they didn’t issue a citation or fine to Sloth World. They determined there was no evidence of intentional wrongdoing or failure to follow the rules for keeping wild animals in captivity, and instead, they simply gave the company a verbal warning.

Florida Representative Maxwell Frost was angered by recent social media reports and announced he will conduct his own investigation, working with local law enforcement.

Good news, everyone! All thirteen of the little sloths made it through another night, which is awesome! 🦥 The keepers are starting to feel a bit better about how things are going, but we’re still keeping a close eye on one little guy who’s not quite out of the woods yet. If you want to help us keep taking care of these adorable sloths, you can donate on the website. Every little bit helps!

— Central Florida Zoo (@Centralflzoo) April 26, 2026

After a few days, Sloth World closed permanently, and the 13 sloths were relocated to the Central Florida Zoo. Zoo staff are hopeful the sloths are recovering well and are asking for donations to support their ongoing care.

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2026-04-28 00:22