New photos, names of rescued sloths at Central Florida Zoo
Zoo veterinarian shares update on rescued sloths
The Central Florida Zoo continues to care for the sloths that were rescued from a warehouse tied to Sloth World. Two of the surviving sloths were recently released from the ICU. Dr. Haley Straub, a veterinarian at the Central Florida Zoo, joins Good Day Orlando to talk about the care the sloths are receiving.
SANFORD, Fla. - It has been 30 days since 13 dehydrated, underweight, and ill sloths shipped to Florida, intended to be part of the Sloth World Orlando attraction, were rescued from a warehouse in Orange County and brought to the Central Florida Zoo for emergency care.
In the last four weeks, four of those sloths have tragically died: Bandit, Habanero, Dumpling, and Mr. Ginger. Two sloths – Chewie and Dolce – have been cleared from the ICU, while the other seven remain in the ICU.
To mark the 30-day milestone, the Central Florida Zoo shared the names and photos of the other sloths under its care.
Meet the sloths being cared for at the Central Florida Zoo
- Blackberry
- Chewie
- Dolce
- Hazel
- Leeloo
- Mojo Jojo
- Pearl
- Phantom
- Willow
New sloth photos
What they're saying:
"As previously mentioned, Chewie and Dolce are now out of intensive care. The other seven remain under closer watch, but all continue to receive daily care and monitoring from our animal care and veterinary teams, as well as special diets from our nutrition team.
Their personalities are beginning to shine through more each day, and we look forward to sharing more about each individual sloth in the coming weeks."
Serious questions and concerns have been raised across all levels of government following the deaths of more than 50 sloths imported to Florida from Central and South America over the span of 15 months, between December 2024 and at least March 2026.
Those sloths were stored in at least two makeshift warehouses in Orlando and Orange County, according to Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) inspection records. One of those warehouses on I-Drive was permitted to store vehicles, not animals, and was discovered only after FOX 35's reporting.
Weeks after FOX 35's reporting, the FWC issued a nearly 60-day ban on the importation of sloths to Florida.
The Source: FOX 35 has been investigating the deaths at Sloth World for months, requesting dozens of documents and inspection reports, states, and interviews from the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), USDA, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), Orange County Government, City of Orlando, and those affiliated with Sloth World Orlando. Florida Congressman Maxwell Frost and State Rep. Anna Eskamani have demanded investigations following FOX 35's reporting. Congresswoman Laurel Lee posted her statement and letter to SWFW about Sloth World to her social media accounts on May 20, 2026. Prior to Memorial Day weekend, the Central Florida Zoo shared the photos and names on its Facebook page of the sloths under its care.