Sloth World: Florida leaders demand state, federal investigations after sloth deaths
Florida lawmakers call for criminal investigation into 'Sloth World' deaths
Florida Rep. Anna Eskamani calls for the Attorney General's office to launch a criminal investigation into the Orlando attraction 'Sloth World' after it was reported that over 50 sloths died before the attraction opened. Eskamani called the situation a "failure of government."
ORLANDO, Fla. - Two Florida leaders have asked for state and federal investigations into Sloth World Orlando and its owners after more than 50 sloths shipped to Florida from South America died under its care, following several investigative reports from FOX 35 News.
State Rep. Anna Eskamani asked Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier to open an investigation to see if any Florida laws may have been broken. Congressman Maxwell Frost sent a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rolins asking the USDA to open its own investigation.
PETA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, also issued a statement demanding the Florida Department of Law Enforcement open a potential criminal investigation.
No one associated with Sloth World has been named a suspect or the target of an investigation, nor have any citations or charges been filed against anyone connected to the attraction.
The backstory:
Between December 2024 and February 2025, 30 sloths brought to Florida to be part of Sloth World Orlando, a guided sloth experience being built on International Drive, died, according to FWC reports. Those sloths were stored in a makeshift warehouse not far from where the attraction was under construction. Many died due to cold temperatures or other issues, records state.
Since then, more shipments of sloths were brought to Florida, where records show many of them also died, according to FWC records obtained by FOX 35. Some arrived dead on arrival, others died shortly after arrival, records said. At least two died after getting into a fight with one another, one report stated.
Last week, 13 sloths were removed from the warehouse and donated to the Central Florida Zoo, where they have undergone daily treatment. Many of the sloths were dehydrated and underweight, zoo officials said. One sloth, named Bandit, died.
After donating the sloths, Ben Agresta, the owner of Sloth World, told FOX 35 that he would no longer open the Orlando attraction and would likely file for bankruptcy. He denied that any of his sloths died from cold temperatures and, instead, blamed a "foreign virus."
"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 at the time.
What they're saying:
Congressman Maxwell Frost
Following FOX 35's initial reporting, Congressman Maxwell Frost said in a post on X that he had sent a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rolins asking the USDA to open its own investigation.
"These sloths — naturally solitary animals — were put in the worst conditions possible. They were taken from their natural habitats to a packed warehouse that wasn’t properly heated and allowed for the spread of deadly viruses, leading to a stress-induced death," Frost said in a statement on X.
FOX 35 has reached out to the USDA for comment. A spokesperson previously confirmed that no one affiliated with Sloth World had an active permit with the USDA or the Animal Welfare Act.
When reached Wednesday and Thursday for a statement on the call for an investigation, the spokesperson said in an email: "At this time, we don’t have additional information to share."
State Rep. Anna Eskamani
Wednesday night, State Rep. Anna Eskamani said she sent a letter to Attorney General James Uthmeier to open an investigation to see whether any animal cruelty laws were broken as a result of the sloth deaths.
"The loss of dozens of animals under preventable conditions demands accountability. These reports raise not only questions of
individual responsibility, but also broader concerns about regulatory oversight and enforcement," she wrote.
PETA on Sloth World Orlando
Thursday morning, PETA issued the following statement, asking the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to
"These sloths were snatched from their rainforest homes and endured a terrifying journey thousands of miles away before being left to die in a barren warehouse equipped to store cars, not living beings," said PETA Foundation Associate General Counsel of Captive Animal Law Enforcement Jonathan Morris in a statement.
"Wild animals are not props for roadside attractions, and PETA is calling on the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to hold Bandre and Agresta accountable for their actions and ensure that they never own animals again."
FWC: No criminal intent found in Sloth World sloth deaths
The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission said it has records of at least 11 shipments of sloths into Florida between December 2024 and March 2026.
The agency said it conducted four inspections after the August 2025 inspection:
- March 9, 2026
- March 19, 2026
- March 24, 2026
In each of those reports, inspectors did not note serious violations or issue any citations. In the August 2025 inspection, there were six sloths in the facility. The inspector gave a "verbal warning" after two sloths were found to be stored in cages that did not meet the legal requirements. The facility also did not have a written log of when those sloths were put into those smaller cages, which is a requirement.
According to the FWC, sloths can be put in smaller cages under certain conditions, but only for a maximum of 60 days.
No citations were issued or charges were filed in the December 2024 sloth deaths because the FWC did not find "intentional mal-conduct or demonstration of an inability/unwillingness to comply with captive wildlife rules," the agency said.
"Circumstances as discovered did not rise to the level of criminal intent and the owner had already installed numerous improvements to prevent this from reoccurring," the agency said.
The Source: The information is this story is pulled from records obtained by FOX 35 from the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission, public statements from Congressman Maxwell Frost, State Rep. Anna Eskamani, and the Central Florida Zoo, as well as additional reporting from FOX 35's Hannah Mackenzie, Josh Frigerio, and Marie Edinger.