Florida’s wildlife agency has proposed new rules to strengthen protections for sloths imported into the state, four months after an Inside Climate News investigation revealed dozens of wild sloths from South America died at a planned Orlando tourism attraction.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission already requires individuals and businesses in Florida to obtain a specialized wildlife permit to own, sell or show exotic animals. The proposed rules would go a step further, requiring permit holders to have sloth-specific “experience.” However, this will not apply to those already approved to own sloths in the state.
Florida’s captive-wildlife rules drew international attention after more than 50 sloths died at the tourism attraction Sloth World.
In late 2024, the company imported 21 sloths from the forests of Guyana to a facility without running water or electricity, according to a state incident report obtained by Inside Climate News through an open records request. All the animals died. So did 10 sloths shipped from Peru that arrived at the facility shortly afterward.
State records show Sloth World continued to import dozens of sloths, most of which died before the business shuttered this spring. Necropsy reports indicate that the sloths suffered from diseases and severe physiological distress induced by their capture from the wild, international shipment, environmental changes and problems with their care.
