Sloths

Internal emails obtained by Inside Climate News show the state of Florida saw no need to stop the unfolding mass deaths of sloths at a planned Orlando tourist attraction.

Five of the sloths that came to the zoo died. The survivors are doing well and getting more comfortable with zoo staff and the veterinary processes required to ensure their health.

The temporary ban on sloth imports into Florida expires after July 10.

Larry Wallach’s commercial exotic animal business was shuttered by New York courts and federal regulators declined his application to exhibit animals. Now he’s pitching a new sloth encounter business in Florida.

Willow is the fifth sloth to die at the zoo since 13 arrived there in poor condition from a Sloth World warehouse on April 24.

Officials at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission are reviewing those recommendations. Last month, Florida paused the importing of sloths after the Sloth World deaths became public.

Nine sloths remain in the care of the Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens, after 13 recently arrived there in poor condition from a Sloth World warehouse.

At just several months old, Mr. Ginger was the youngest sloth to recently arrive at the Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens.

It follows public outcry that arose over dozens of animal deaths connected to Sloth World, a now-canceled attraction previously planned in Orlando. The temporary ban expires on July 10.

Dozens of sloths were captured from the wild and shipped to Florida for the now-canceled attraction. At least 34 of those sloths are now dead.

The zoo's veterinary team is keeping an extra-close eye on two of the remaining eleven animals recently transferred from a Sloth World warehouse in Orlando.

Most of the wild sloths imported by a planned tourist attraction in Orlando did not survive.