The permit process required for importing sloths into Florida is about to change, according to a memo from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
The state's temporary ban on sloth imports is in place through July 10. Once it expires, sloths will no longer be covered under Florida's "blanket import permit" for certain types of wildlife intended for sale or display.
Instead, "all entities who are properly permitted to possess sloth species will be required to obtain a no cost Wildlife Importation Permit prior to the importation of sloth(s) into Florida," according to the memo issued Friday to captive wildlife permittees.
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In Florida, two different types of permits authorize the importation of nonnative wildlife.
If someone has a permit to keep Class III Wildlife for commercial use (known as an ESC permit) and a permanent facility address in Florida, they can apply for a blanket Class III Import Permit. The blanket permit authorizes wildlife imports throughout the duration of the year-long ESC permit, meaning the ESC permitholder only needs to get one import permit per year.
Up until now, sloths were covered by that "blanket import permit." But after July 10, they won't be.
Moving forward, importing sloths to Florida will instead require a one-time Wildlife Importation Permit, which authorizes a single importation event. Applicants' wildlife facilities and transport caging are subject to inspection by FWC as required by state law, according to the permit application.
In Florida, sloths are considered Class III wildlife. That category includes any non-domesticated animal that isn't classified in another category (the other categories are Class I, Class II, Conditional and Prohibited). "There is no formal list of Class III species due to the large volume of species which are categorized as Class III," according to FWC, but some examples include exotic birds, skunks, lemurs and many reptiles, plus all amphibian species.
Sam Trull with the Sloth Institute said in an interview with Central Florida Public Media that, while she's celebrating the news, still plenty more work lies ahead to ensure better protection for sloths.
"I definitely think it's a really good first step, but I don't think it's enough to fully protect sloths in Florida or in the U.S," she said.
Trull is one of two sloth experts urging Florida to enact specific changes to better protect the vulnerable rainforest species, following the deaths of at least 57 animals tied to the failed Sloth World exhibit previously planned in Orlando. Among the changes they seek is a permanent, federal ban on the import of sloths into the U.S.
"We still want to see a permanent ban on importing sloths," Trull said. "But I think even with this step [the permitting change], it's really going to come down to how it's enforced."
Most sloths imported to the U.S. enter the Port of Miami, according to Sloth Institute research.
RELATED: Experts recommend import ban, new FWC rules after Sloth World's animal deaths
In a prepared statement, State Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando, called Florida's permitting change "a small but important victory for animal welfare."
Speaking over the phone with Central Florida Public Media, Eskamani said, ultimately, the goal is to separate sloths entirely from the Class III designation. The permitting change recently announced by FWC does not accomplish that.
"It's still regulated under Class III, which I would argue is not good enough," Eskamani said.
Still, Eskamani said, the permitting change will activate "a proactive inspection" for those importing sloths — before they arrive in Florida. That piece was missing in the case of Sloth World, where dozens of sloths arrived in December 2024 to an Orange County warehouse with no electricity or water.
"In the context of Sloth World, they didn't have any facilities prepared," Eskamani said. "The amusement piece of their business was not complete, and they got a warehouse to put them in."
In the coming weeks, Eskamani and the sloth experts say they'll continue to meet with state and federal lawmakers, pushing for change. At the state level, more substantive changes would require a vote by FWC commissioners. Eskamani said the hope is to bring proposed changes before commissioners later this year.
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