Thirty-one sloths planned for a new slothnarium in Florida died before the attraction's planned opening, authorities have found. The mammals were planned to be showcased at a permanent, public exhibit at Sloth World in Orlando, set to open this spring.
Many of the sloths died due to conditions at a Florida warehouse where they had been shipped, according to a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) report released on Friday. Others arrived in Florida already dead or appeared in ill health and later died, the report states.
The owner of Sloth World has denied allegations in the report and said there was 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, Ben Agresta, the owner of Sloth World, told Fox-35 in Orlando.
Sloth World is advertised as Orlando's only slotharium, with a rainforest-inspired habitat designed exclusively with sloth wellbeing in mind, according to its website. Despite the FWC's findings, investigations into the sloths' deaths have raised concerns among lawmakers and animal rights advocates. Criticism has been directed at the handling of the situation by both the attraction's management and the regulatory agencies involved in overseeing animal welfare.
Florida state representative Anna Eskamani expressed that this incident reveals a significant gap in wildlife permitting regulations, emphasizing the importance of public vigilance in reporting such issues. The plight of the sloths at Sloth World highlights ongoing challenges faced by exotic animal exhibitions, especially regarding the health and safety of the animals involved.
Many of the sloths died due to conditions at a Florida warehouse where they had been shipped, according to a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) report released on Friday. Others arrived in Florida already dead or appeared in ill health and later died, the report states.
The owner of Sloth World has denied allegations in the report and said there was 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, Ben Agresta, the owner of Sloth World, told Fox-35 in Orlando.
Sloth World is advertised as Orlando's only slotharium, with a rainforest-inspired habitat designed exclusively with sloth wellbeing in mind, according to its website. Despite the FWC's findings, investigations into the sloths' deaths have raised concerns among lawmakers and animal rights advocates. Criticism has been directed at the handling of the situation by both the attraction's management and the regulatory agencies involved in overseeing animal welfare.
Florida state representative Anna Eskamani expressed that this incident reveals a significant gap in wildlife permitting regulations, emphasizing the importance of public vigilance in reporting such issues. The plight of the sloths at Sloth World highlights ongoing challenges faced by exotic animal exhibitions, especially regarding the health and safety of the animals involved.
