Costa Rica Sloth Groups Expose Florida Animal Death Scandal

Two Costa Rican nonprofit organizations, the Sloth Conservation Foundation and The Sloth Institute, exposed a severe animal welfare scandal at Sloth World Orlando, a commercial attraction that never officially opened. Marketed as a conservation-focused sanctuary, the facility became a death trap for wild-caught sloths imported from Central America. Investigations revealed that at least 31 sloths died between December 2024 and February 2025 due to systemic stress caused by capture, transport, and captivity. After surviving animals were transferred to the Central Florida Zoo in critical condition, the total death toll rose to at least 55. Veterinary reports indicated that stress suppressed the animals' immune systems, making them vulnerable to diseases like gammaherpesvirus. Following pressure from Costa Rican experts and Florida legislators, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission issued a temporary 60-day ban on sloth imports. Sloth World has permanently closed and surrendered its remaining animals, highlighting the physiological incompatibility of sloths with commercial exhibition and sparking demands for stricter wildlife trade regulations.