FLORIDA – Thirty-one sloths intended for a new “slothnarium” in Florida have died before the attraction’s planned opening, authorities have found. The animals were to be showcased in a permanent public exhibit at Sloth World in Orlando, which was set to open this spring.
Many of the sloths died due to conditions at a Florida warehouse where they had been shipped, according to a report released on Friday by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). Others arrived in Florida already dead or in poor health and later died, the report states.
The owner of Sloth World has denied the allegations in the report, saying there is “so much false and inaccurate information out there right now.” “The truth is, we lost sloths that had a virus which showed barely any symptoms and was undetectable even after necropsy,” Ben Agresta, the owner of Sloth World, told Fox 35 in Orlando. The BBC has contacted Sloth World, as well as its listed owner and representatives, for comment.
Sloth World is advertised as Orlando’s only “slothnarium,” featuring a rainforest-inspired habitat “designed exclusively with sloth well-being in mind,” according to its website. The FWC report, obtained by the BBC on Friday, outlines two incidents in which the animals died ahead of the attraction’s planned opening.
In December 2024, 21 sloths shipped from Guyana died due to cold conditions at a Florida warehouse where they were held, according to the report. Then, in February 2025, two of 10 sloths transported from Peru arrived dead. The remaining eight “appeared emaciated” and later succumbed to poor health, the report states.
When FWC investigators were alerted and began their inquiry, Peter Bandre, listed online as the attraction’s vice president, told them that the warehouse was not properly equipped to receive the animals. “It was too late to cancel the shipment,” Bandre said, attributing the deaths to a “cold stun,” according to the report. The building had no water or electricity, so space heaters were purchased to keep it warm. However, the heaters tripped a fuse and shut down.
Investigators found that, for at least one night, the sloths were left in the building without heat. The report notes that the animals arrived in Florida on 18 December 2024, and historical weather data shows temperatures dropped to 46°F (7°C) the following week.
The FWC also found that, in two instances, the sloths under Bandre’s care were kept in cages that did not meet captive wildlife requirements. A verbal warning was issued at the time. (BBC)
