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Government records indicate that more than 31 imported wild sloths have died at Sloth World, a Florida animal encounter business marketed as conservation-focused. Some animals died after being left overnight in a cold warehouse, according to a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission incident report. Later, Sloth World discovered that viruses, including a “novel two-toed sloth gammaherpesvirus,” rippled through the warehouse where the imported sloths lived, according to necropsy reports and internal company emails. “Little is known” about treatment for the virus.
Those necropsy reports also showed that “systemic stress” acted as a “definitive catalyst” for some of the deaths. The owner of Sloth World—Benjamin Agresta—said the organization wants to study the sloths, teach its patrons about the species, work alongside researchers and provide grant money to conservation organizations. The company has been selling $49 tickets along with sloth-branded merchandise, although the facility’s grand opening has repeatedly been pushed back.
“They are pretending it’s conservation,” said Sam Trull, executive director of The Sloth Institute. “They’re trying to really greenwash what they’re doing.”
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✍️ By @katie.surma & Kiley Price
📸 Photo of Sloth World's off-site facility by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Sloth photos by Sam Trull.
