Authorities are conducting a criminal probe on an Orlando roadside attraction called “Sloth World” for a deadly wildlife sin: too many animals dying in the business’ care. In response, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has now issued a two-month ban on importing sloths to the state.
Sloth World, which had yet to open, was marketing itself as a conservation-focused center. The business was planning to offer $49 animal encounters but has since closed and filed for bankruptcy. On May 1, the state’s attorney general announced there would be an investigation into the organization.
The wild animals were imported from Guyana and Peru and included both two-fingered (Choloepodidae spp.) and three-fingered (Bradypodidae spp.) sloths.
The mass mortality has exposed the darker side of the international wildlife trade business, with conservationists speaking out against the industry. “There is no justification in 2026 for acquiring wild sloths for exhibition,” said Rebecca Cliffe, the founder of the Sloth Conservation Foundation, in an interview with Inside Climate News.
