50+ sloths dead in failed Sloth World project; Florida leaders want accountability

ORLANDO, Fla. - Florida state Rep. Anna Eskamani, Orange County Commissioners, and international sloth experts demanded accountability and more legal oversight into the importing and reporting of sloths and other exotic animals into Florida for public exhibition and personal ownership, and a review of potential legal and criminal consequences after the deaths of more than 50 sloths intended to be part of Sloth World Orlando.

Among them:

• A total ban on the imports of wild-caught sloths to Florida and/or the United States intended for personal or commercial use
• A review of FWC's legal threshold for animal abuse and animal cruelty
• Criminal charges to be recommended against the owners of Sloth World (to date, no violations or charges have been filed)
• A review of the FWC Class III wildlife designation, which does not require reports of advanced imports or deaths of sloths and other animals
• Improved communication between local, county, and state agencies that deal with exotic animals
• A review of Orange County permit procedures and enforcement, and staffing needed to conduct inspections

Full press conference: Leaders demand accountability after Sloth World sloth deaths

What they're saying:

"The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission has stated that they found no evidence of violations. But under Florida law, it's a criminal offense to subject animals to unnecessary suffering. Placing highly sensitive animals into a warehouse with no electricity, no heat, and no running water resulted in suffering that was predictable, visible, and entirely preventable. I struggle to understand how that does not constitute a violation. And if this does not meet the threshold for suffering under the law, then we have to act whether the threshold is set far too low and whether the laws are sufficient." - Dr. Rebecca Cliffe, The Sloth Conservation Foundation

"What happened at Sloth World is unique in the number of sloths that died, especially in such a short amount of time, but the business model is not unique" - Sam Trull,  The Sloth Institute, Costa Rica

"FWC in August of 2025 investigated and then failed to notify building inspectors. In August of 2025, if FWCs didn't believe that wildlife was their concern in that warehouse, all they had to do was make a call to building safety, code enforcement, Commissioner Wilson's office, Commissioner Scott's office. And we would have sent our own people there. Right now under our current permitting regulations, they were unable to gain entry, but still saw evidence that there were animals being kept in the warehouse. I'm working today, tomorrow and coming days to make sure that we close that gap and provide them the authorization necessary in order to be able to gain entry if there's evidence of this type of animal cruelty inside." - Orange County Commissioner Nicole Wilson.

"We have a great opportunity right here in Florida to slow down that importation and to ban it completely. This is not an accredited facility, AZA. You're not operating with conservation in mind. I mean, there's no reason to steal animal from the wild. And bring them in, period. You know, if the animal was injured, that's different, right? But a wild animal that's happily chewing on leaves in the rainforest does not have to come to Florida. So that's key. On the criminal part, I think we have to see what happens with the attorney general, but my first reaction is reporting of deaths that if an animal dies under a class three permit, that should be reported and made public. And a permit should not be renewed, when that, especially when that death is still being investigated. And so those are two very easy things that Florida can do." - Florida State Rep. Anna Eskamani 

Rep. Eskamani said she found out about the situation from media reporting, including FOX 35's investigative series.

"That's how I first became aware that this was happening. And so that's huge praise to our media partners, but also what a disgrace to government, to state regulators for not thinking that the public would be outraged, not thinking this was a problem, and for allowing this permit to be renewed after sloth deaths, it's just truly unacceptable. And if we were here outside a pet store for dogs or for cats, there would have been arrests made already."

"That's a sad stain, I think, on that entity that wanted to open Sloth World. Clearly, someone didn't know what they were doing, didn't understand the animals, and didn't take the appropriate precautions. And they're going to be held accountable for that. There going to be investigations, there are investigations on the way, into that. The goal would be to prevent that from ever happening again" - Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings. Mayor Demings talked to FOX 35 on Tuesday at an event with the Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida, who announced a funding milestone to build a new center for women and families.

Central Florida Zoo CEO: It's unclear if any of the sloths will ultimately survive

Richard Glover, CEO of the Central Florida Zoo, told FOX 35 that the loss of the three sloths is already having a tremendous impact on the keepers who are working hard to save their lives.

"We're fighting. We want every one of these (sloths) to live. And it's a blow to us every time we lose one," he said.

He said it's unknown if any of the remaining 10 sloths will ultimately survive, as their health can go from stable to dire at a moment's notice. Due to the unique nature of their systems, sloths are good at hiding any issues until it is too late, the zoo said. 

"What we're finding is because of what we're finding in the bloodworm, it's clearly (sic) they were fed the wrong thing for an extended period of time, maybe several months," he said. 

"It is still a guessing game at this point. There's nothing that tells us we can be confident that any of them are safe right now," he said.

Here's what the FWC has said

Dig deeper:

FOX 35 reached out to the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) on Wednesday for an interview or a statement in response to the press conference. We did not immediately hear back.

FOX 35 has also put in requests for an interview with FWC leadership.

In August 2025, FWC performed an unannounced inspection at the warehouse in Orange County. It was there that the inspector was notified of the 31 sloths deaths in December 2024 and February 2025.

According to that inspection report, the inspector did not find major violations, but did give a "verbal warning" after two sloths were allegedly being kept in cages that were too small and because Sloth World did not have records of when the sloths were put into those cages.

FWC declined to file violations or charges against Sloth World. 

"Class III permit holders must maintain accurate records of their animal inventory but are not required to report animal deaths to the FWC. The climate-control issues were corrected prior to inspection, and the investigation found that the owner’s actions did not meet the legal standard for animal cruelty under Florida Statute 828.12. Deaths related to zoonotic disease were referred to USDA, and the investigation concluded without citation or written warning. There was no legal basis for enforcement action or closure, and while the deaths of these animals are tragic, subsequent inspections found the facility compliant with care and housing standards," FWC said in a statement.

Based on FWC's count, relying on Sloth World records, 61 sloths were imported to Florida between December 2024 and March 2026, a spokesperson said. 

A total of 31 died in the December 2024 and February 2025 incidents. In April 2026, 13 sloths were transferred to Central Florida Zoo for care. All were found to be dehydrated and underweight, among other issues. Three – Bandit, Habanero, Dumpling – have since died.

What have Sloth World's owners said?

According to WFC records, Sloth World was originally a project between Peter Bandré and Ben Agresta. Bandré left the company earlier this year, records show.

Ben Agresta, Sloth World's owner, has denied FWC records stating that the building lacks electricity or water during the December 2024 shipment of sloths. He blamed the sloth deaths on a virus. After the 13 sloths were sent to the Central Florida Zoo, he said he would no longer open the attraction and would file for bankruptcy. 

"There is so much false and inaccurate information out there right now. The truth is, we lost sloths that had a virus of which showed barely any symptoms and was undetectable even after necropsy," he said in a statement.

"With a staff of 22 Ambassadors involved in multiple facilities with many members each shift, we put every resource and outside help possible. We all truly feel terrible that this has occurred. None of our staff did anything to ever harm an animal and do not have anything but love and compassion for them. All we wanted was for the betterment of sloths by learning as much as we can and teaching the world about them. All of us have conservation at our hearts, coupled with education. Nothing we could have done could prevent an unknown virus."

Who is investigating Sloth World?

Florida Attorney James Uthmeier said his office was assisting State Attorney Monique Worrell's office with an "ongoing criminal investigation." However, Worrell said in a statement that her office had no information on an active investigation into Sloth World, adding that her office does not conduct investigations, law enforcement does.

The USDA said it is not investigating Sloth World as the business has since closed.

"Sloth World was not open to the public and is not currently operating. The owner began—but later withdrew—an application for a USDA Animal Welfare Act exhibitor license. Since he is no longer seeking authorization to conduct a regulated activity, Sloth World is not required to be licensed or registered under the AWA. Because the business is not licensed and is not exhibiting regulated animals to the public, APHIS does not have jurisdiction at this location," a spokesperson said in a statement.

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