Calls to shut down the Sloth World grow after records show dozens died before opening, survivors now in critical care

Calls are growing to stop a planned Orlando attraction from opening after records showed that dozens of sloths connected to Sloth World died before the public ever got inside, while the surviving animals are now being treated at the Central Florida Zoo.

NBC News correspondent Priscilla Thompson reported that 31 sloths died in captivity between 2024 and 2025, according to a recently released report from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. FOX 35 Orlando reporter Marie Edinger later reported that the death count appears to be even higher, with records showing another 21 or more sloths died after the state’s investigation began.

Together, the reports describe an attraction that was being marketed as a “slotharium,” but instead became the center of an animal welfare controversy before it could open. The details are disturbing not only because so many animals died, but because some of the deaths appear to have happened in conditions that should have raised urgent questions long before the story became public.

Sloths Kept In A Warehouse Without Proper Utilities

Thompson reported that many of the sloths were kept in a warehouse connected to the planned Orlando attraction, where state records said the animals faced near-freezing temperatures, deadly viruses, and stress.

According to Thompson’s report, 21 sloths were placed in a warehouse that had no heat and no electricity. The owner said space heaters had been set up, but those heaters were connected by an extension cord to a different building, and the fuse eventually tripped.

That meant the animals were left without heat for at least one night in December 2024.

Thompson said those 21 sloths died after being exposed to the cold. The state report said Sloth World described the deaths as “cold stun,” and the warehouse was not ready to receive the animals when they arrived.

A few months later, Thompson reported, another 10 sloths were brought into the facility from Peru. The owner said two were dead when they arrived, and that the others appeared “emaciated” and in very poor health.

Over roughly three months, 31 sloths died at the warehouse.

It is hard to read those details and not wonder why such vulnerable animals were brought into a facility that was not ready for them. A sloth attraction should begin with care and preparation, not emergency fixes, extension cords, and animals dying before the public ever sees them.

State Report Led To No Fines Or Citations

One of the most troubling parts of Thompson’s NBC News report is that the owners of the facility were not fined or cited after the 31 deaths.

Thompson said they received only a verbal warning.

During the state inspection, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission also noted six two-toed sloths still living in the warehouse, and cages for two of those sloths did not meet regulations. Even then, according to the report, no fines or citations were issued.

The lack of penalties has become a major point of criticism for animal advocates and others calling for the attraction to be shut down. When dozens of animals die in connection with one operation, a verbal warning feels painfully small to the public, especially when the deaths involved a facility that was allegedly not properly prepared.

The state’s position, as Edinger later reported, was that the owner showed no intentional misconduct or demonstrated inability or unwillingness to comply with captive wildlife rules. But many people will likely find that explanation difficult to accept, because the outcome was not minor.

Dozens of animals died.

Lawmaker Says Conditions Were Among The Worst Possible

Thompson reported that U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost, whose district includes parts of Orlando, became involved after the details were made public.

Frost said the sloths were kept in the “worst conditions possible,” according to Thompson. He said his office was looking into the tragedy and planned to coordinate with local officials to decide what steps should come next.

Animal activists have also called for a boycott of Sloth World and pushed city officials to stop the attraction before it could open.

At the time of Thompson’s report, there was no clear opening date for the attraction, and the Sloth World website said it was under construction. The company’s automated voicemail had said the grand opening was expected toward the end of April 2026, with limited early operations.

That plan appears to have collapsed.

Edinger reported that Sloth World’s owner later said the company planned to file for bankruptcy and would no longer move forward with opening the attraction. In her report, FOX 35 said the attraction now “will never open.”

That is probably the only reasonable outcome after reports like this. A business built around public encounters with sloths cannot expect public trust after dozens of sloths die in its care or while tied to its operation.

Survivors Arrive Underweight And Dehydrated

Edinger reported that 13 surviving sloths from Sloth World were taken in by the Central Florida Zoo in Sanford, where they are now receiving care.

One of them, a sloth named Bandit, was in especially poor condition.

“This is Bandit,” Edinger said in the report, showing the animal now in intensive care.

Central Florida Zoo officials said Bandit was lethargic and dehydrated, with gastrointestinal problems and electrolyte imbalances. The rest of the sloths also arrived underweight and dehydrated, though the zoo said they were doing better.

Richard Glover, CEO of the Central Florida Zoo, explained to FOX 35 that sloths can have serious digestive issues when they are stressed, and those problems can also come from disease or parasites.

“Because their digestive systems are so slow, it takes a long time to rectify something like that,” Glover said.

That comment is important because it shows the surviving animals are not simply being “moved” from one place to another. They are being medically managed after arriving in poor condition, and the road back to health may be slow.

The zoo said the sloths would be kept in quarantine for at least 30 days, evaluated by veterinary and animal care staff, and placed on custom diets. The zoo is also working with the Species Survival Plan program to find long-term placement for the animals at accredited facilities, though some could remain at the zoo.

FOX 35 Finds More Deaths After The First 31

Edinger’s FOX 35 report added another serious development: the death count did not appear to stop with the 31 sloths first reported by the FWC.

According to Edinger, FOX 35 reviewed veterinarian notes and necropsy reports provided by Sloth World and found that another 21 sloths died after the state started its investigation.

That means more than 50 sloths connected to Sloth World may have died, according to the records reviewed by FOX 35.

Sloth World owner Ben Agresta told FOX 35 that the animals did not die from cold stun, but from a virus that showed few symptoms. He said his staff did everything they could to help the animals and that they feel terrible about what happened.

“None of our staff did anything to ever harm an animal and do not have anything but love and compassion for them,” Agresta said in a statement reported by FOX 35. “All we wanted was for the betterment of sloths by learning as much as we can and teaching the world about them.”

That statement may explain what the owner says his intentions were, but it does not erase the results. Even if some animals were ill before arrival or died from complications, the repeated deaths still raise serious questions about whether the operation should have been bringing in more animals at all.

Customers Demand Refunds

Edinger also reported that customers who bought early access VIP tickets are now trying to get their money back.

After FOX 35 reported that the remaining sloths had been donated to the Central Florida Zoo, customer Charity Moore emailed Sloth World demanding a refund. She said she no longer wanted anything to do with the attraction after learning about the warehouse conditions.

“When I started reading and listening to the news articles of the warehouses and the conditions that things were happening in, absolutely not,” Moore told Edinger. “I have no desire to support that whatsoever.”

Moore said she had not received a response.

Edinger reported that other FOX 35 viewers also said they had not been able to get refunds, even though Sloth World’s refund policy said early access VIP tickets could be refunded for any reason at any time. Edinger said she reached out to Sloth World by email and to the owner by phone about refunds, but did not receive a response.

The refund issue is smaller than the animal deaths, but it still matters because customers were sold access to an attraction that now appears unlikely to open. More importantly, some customers say they would never have supported the business if they had known what was happening behind the scenes.

A Failed Attraction With A Larger Lesson

Thompson and Edinger’s reports show a troubling pattern: an attraction built around exotic animals was being prepared for the public while many of those animals were dying in a warehouse or arriving at the zoo in poor condition.

The surviving sloths are now in better hands, but the situation should prompt broader questions about how such operations are inspected, approved, and allowed to continue bringing in animals after serious problems are known.

Sloths are slow-moving, sensitive animals, and they are not props for entertainment or photo opportunities. Any business that builds its identity around them has a responsibility to meet their needs before opening day, before ticket sales, and before branding.

In this case, the public only learned the full scope of the problem after dozens had already died.

The Central Florida Zoo is now focused on stabilizing the surviving sloths, including Bandit, who remained in critical condition. Sloth World’s owner has said the company plans to file for bankruptcy, and the attraction is not moving forward.

For animal advocates, lawmakers, and customers demanding answers, the central question remains the same: how did so many sloths die before the public ever walked through the doors, and why did it take this long for the operation to be stopped?