Dozens of Sloths Die in Unheated Florida Warehouse

An investigation in Florida has revealed that dozens of sloths captured in South America died after being transported to the state for a planned Orlando attraction that has yet to open.

According to a report from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 31 of the animals perished after being kept in a warehouse that lacked proper heat and, at times, even basic utilities like water and electricity. The facility was run by Sanctuary World Imports. Its license holder, Peter Bandre, told authorities he had arranged for 21 sloths to be shipped from Guyana and another 10 from Peru between late 2024 and early 2025.

Bandre acknowledged that the shipment from Guyana arrived during a period of unusually cold weather in December 2024. He said the warehouse was not actually ready to house the animals, despite assurances from a business partner. He attributed the deaths to a “cold stun,” explaining that temporary heaters had been set up but were powered through an extension cord connected to another building. That setup failed after a fuse blew, leaving the animals without heat overnight. Investigators noted that no one was present to address the issue, and temperatures dropped to about 46 degrees.

The problems continued months later when another group of sloths arrived from Peru. Two were already dead upon arrival, and the remaining eight were described as severely underweight and in extremely poor health. All of them later died. Records obtained through a public information request indicate that disease also spread among the animals, including a virus identified as a previously undocumented two-toed sloth gammaherpesvirus. Additional sloths were reportedly brought into the facility later, though it remains unclear how many survived.

Animal welfare and conservation organizations have condemned the planned attraction, which had proposed housing as many as 65 sloths. Critics argue that sloths are wild animals with specialized environmental needs and are not suited for captivity or entertainment purposes. They also warn that removing them from their natural habitats can increase demand for wildlife capture without benefiting conservation efforts.

The Orlando attraction, marketed as “Sloth World,” has faced repeated delays. Following public reporting on the deaths, the project’s social media accounts were taken down, and a public relations firm previously tied to the venture appears to have ended its involvement.

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