Dozens of sloths die before opening of Sloth World attraction in Florida

Thirty-one sloths died before the planned opening of Sloth World, a new slothnarium attraction in Orlando, Florida.

The deaths occurred due to poor conditions during shipment and at a Florida warehouse, according to a report released by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).

The report details that 21 sloths shipped from Guyana died in December 2024 due to cold conditions at a Florida warehouse.

In February 2025, two of ten sloths arriving from Peru were found dead, while the remaining eight appeared emaciated and later died from poor health issues.

The warehouse where the sloths were held lacked proper heating, water, and electricity.

Space heaters were used but caused a fuse to trip, leaving the animals without heat for at least one night.

Sloths are native to tropical rainforests and require temperatures between 70F and 86F (21C to 30C) to thrive.

Peter Bandre, the attraction's vice-president, told investigators that the warehouse was not properly prepared to receive the animals and that it was too late to cancel the shipment.

He attributed the deaths to "cold stun".

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