ORLANDO, Fla. – In a pressing call for justice and reform, Florida State Representative Anna Eskamani convened a news conference on Wednesday, urging legal action and policy revisions after the grim deaths of 55 sloths associated with Sloth World.
Eskamani, accompanied by Orange County commissioners and sloth conservation experts from Costa Rica, addressed the media outside the now-closed Sloth World facility on Orlando’s International Drive. The setting underscored the urgency of the situation, as those gathered called for accountability and change.
“This is utterly unacceptable,” Eskamani declared. “If this were happening at a pet store with dogs or cats, arrests would have already been made.” Her statement highlighted the perceived disparity in how animal welfare issues are handled, depending on the species involved.
Recently acquired documents reveal that an additional 21 sloths perished under Sloth World’s care, raising the known death toll to a staggering 55. These findings are part of an extensive 178-page document set obtained from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The records include detailed necropsy reports and add to earlier data from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), which had previously documented the deaths of 31 sloths.
Dr. Rebecca Cliffe, who leads the Sloth Conservation Foundation, shed light on the dire conditions that made survival for the sloths nearly impossible. “In 2024, 21 sloths were brought here from Guyana and placed in a makeshift warehouse without essentials like electricity, climate control, or running water,” Cliffe explained. “All 21 sloths died within days. Subsequently, 10 more sloths were imported from Peru, and they too did not survive. These tragedies went unreported under the current system.”
“In 2024, 21 sloths were brought here from Guyana, and they were placed in an unprepared warehouse in a parking lot with no electricity, no climate control, and no running water,” said Cliffe. “And within a matter of days, all 21 of those sloths were dead. Another 10 sloths were then imported from Peru. All 10 of those animals died as well. None of these deaths were reported at the time because under the current system.”
The Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens in Sanford announced Tuesday that Dumpling, one of 13 sloths received from Sloth World on April 24, had died — the third sloth to die at the zoo since the animals’ arrival. Dumpling’s death follows the losses of Habanero and Bandit. Ten sloths remain in the zoo’s care.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier previously confirmed his office is working with Orange-Osceola State Attorney Monique Worrell to determine whether criminal charges can be filed against Sloth World’s owners.
FWC has stated it found no evidence of violations — a position Eskamani called unacceptable.
“When I first spoke to FWC, they also told me that there were two owners, Pete and Ben (Agresta), and that Pete was the sloth expert, and he’s not certified to be a sloth expert,” Eskamani said. “And so running an exotic pet store does not make you an expert on animals. If anything, you’re an expert on profiteering off animals.”
