FWC to temporarily ban sloth imports to Florida after 50+ Sloth World sloth deaths

The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) said an executive order is being drafted to temporarily ban the import of sloths to Florida, following the deaths of more than 50 sloths intended for Sloth World Orlando.

FWC said it was also going to review the rules and regulations for Class III animal licenses, which sloths fall under, to see if changes need to be made.

FWC: Executive order coming to ban sloth imports to Florida

The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) said an executive order is being drafted to temporarily ban the import of sloths to Florida, following the deaths of more than 50 sloths intended for Sloth World Orlando. FWC said it was also going to review the rules and regulations for Class III animal licenses, which sloths fall under, to see if changes need to be made. The Class III license has been questioned after the mass sloth deaths at Sloth World because, legally, the owners were not required to report the sloth deaths – only if sloths had bitten someone or escaped. FWC Executive Director Roger A. Young made the announced during Wednesday’s FWC meeting.

Since December 2024, numerous sloths have been imported to Florida and stored in warehouses in Orlando and Orange County, intended to be part of the now-abandoned Sloth World attraction on International Drive, FOX 35 has reported.

As FOX 35 first reported, 21 sloths imported to Florida died in December 2024 from cold stun and other issues after being stored in a warehouse in Orange County that lacked electricity, water, or heat, according to an FWC inspection report. Another 10 died in February 2025 after being shipped from Peru. In the months since, several more shipments of sloths were brought to Florida, and many of them died.

In April 2026, 13 surviving sloths were transferred to the Central Florida Zoo for emergency treatment and care. All of them were dehydrated and underweight. Since then, three sloths have died: Bandit, Habanero, and Dumpling.

What they’re saying:

Here is a transcript of Young’s remarks:

“We’re going to talk just a little bit about the sloth situation that’s been in the news. So we’re aware of this very sad situation involving sloths that were under the care of Sloth World in Orlando. And we take this situation very seriously.

Our captive wildlife team conducted a thorough investigation and all permits associated with Sloth World have since been relinquished to the FWC. The remaining sloths were relocated to the Central Florida Zoo in Sanford, Florida.

Our captive wildlife team also contacted all other class three facilities throughout Florida that house sloths to assess the animals’ health and found no significant issues. It appears that this group of sloths contracted an intestinal infection that resulted in severe and many cases fatal effects.

We are in the process of finalizing an executive order that will temporarily prohibit the importation of sloth into the state of Florida while we work with representatives, stakeholders, subject matter experts, to examine the existing rule regarding Class IIIs, which sloths fall under, to ensure that this type of incident can be prevented in the future. These discussions have already begun, and we look forward to beginning this with staff and industry moving forward.

And to be clear, this very unfortunate situation resulted from one facility, Sloth World, and they’re no longer licensed, and it is not a widespread issue. The staffs on it, we look to working with all of the industry partners moving forward to make sure we get these rules for the well-keeping of sloths.”

Florida State Rep. Anna Eskamani issued a statement shortly after.

“This is great news, and a critical first step. Pausing sloth importations gives Florida the time we need to craft thoughtful, science-based policy focused squarely on the health and wellbeing of these animals, and to make sure what happened on International Drive never happens again anywhere in the state.”

This story will continue to be updated.