Thirty-one sloths planned for a new “sloth” in Florida died before the attraction was scheduled to open, authorities have found.
The mammals were to be displayed in a permanent public exhibit at Sloth World in Orlando, scheduled to open this spring.
Many sloths died due to conditions in a Florida warehouse where they were shipped, according to a report released Friday by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). Others arrived in Florida already dead or appeared in poor health and later died, the report said.
The owner of Sloth World denied the allegations in the report and said there was “so much false and inaccurate information out there right now.”
“The truth is we lost sloths carrying a virus that had virtually no 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, along with its owner and listed representatives.
Sloth World is billed as Orlando’s only “sloth place,” with a rainforest-inspired habitat “designed exclusively for the well-being of sloths,” according to its website.
The FWC report, obtained by the BBC on Friday, noted two cases of mammals dying before the attraction’s scheduled opening.
In December 2024, 21 sloths shipped from Guyana died from the cold in a Florida warehouse where they had been shipped, according to the FWC report.
Then, in February 2025, two of the ten sloths from Peru arrived dead. The other eight “appeared emaciated” and later succumbed to “health problems,” the report said.
When FWC investigators were alerted and began investigating, Peter Bandre, listed online as the attraction’s vice president, told them the warehouse where the sloths died was not properly set up to receive the animals.
Bandre told investigators, “It was too late to cancel the shipment.”
He attributed their deaths to “cold dizziness,” the report added.
The building had no water or electricity, so heaters were purchased to keep the animals warm. But the heaters tripped a fuse and shut down, the report said.
For at least one night, the sloths remained in the building without heat, investigators found. The animals are native to tropical rainforests and typically live in areas where temperatures range between 70F and 86F (21C – 30C).
The report states that these sloths arrived in Florida on December 18, 2024. Historical weather data shows that minimum temperatures reached 46F (7C) the following week.
In its investigation, the FWC also found that in two cases, the sloths in Bandre’s care were in cages that did not meet the requirements of captive wildlife. A verbal warning was then issued.
In its promotional materials, Sloth World describes Bandre as “one of the world’s most respected sloth experts.”
The FWC closed its investigations into the animal deaths without a written warning or citation, an agency spokesperson told the BBC. There are, however, a number of other regulators investigating, the spokesperson said.
The Orange County Office of Building Safety issued a stop work order Thursday at the warehouse where the animals had been housed. A report obtained by the BBC from the agency details alleged violations of state building codes and county rules.
It’s unclear whether the attraction, located in a popular Orlando tourist corridor, will open as planned later this year.
The FWC said the owner of Sloth World had a wildlife permit on file. The permit allows individuals or businesses to display or sell wild animals.
Local media also reported that more than a dozen remaining sloths that were to be part of the attraction were now being cared for by another zoo in Central Florida.
The revelations about Sloth World have drawn criticism from several lawmakers and animal rights activists.
Florida state Rep. Anna Eskamani said the case exposed a “major gap” in wildlife permits because the FWC is not required to be alerted to animal deaths.
“If it had not been for ordinary people who cared and reported these deaths, it is difficult to know when FWC would have known about these deaths. [the deaths]”added the Democratic lawmaker.
Over the months, the Sloth Conservation Foundation and the Sloth Institute have both expressed concern about the planned opening of Sloth World.
“When removed from the forest canopy and shipped to the United States, sloths often suffer serious health problems related to the change in proper diet and exposure to an artificial environment,” said Sam Trull, executive director of the Sloth Institute.
“For many captured sloths,” he added, “it leads to their death.”