31 sloths died in warehouse on way to Orlando exhibit, authorities say

A Florida lawmaker said he was “appalled” to learn that more than 20 sloths died in an Orlando warehouse on their way to shelters in the state.

The 31 sloths died while being stored in a storage facility associated with the yet-to-open Sloth World Orlando from December 2024 to February 2025, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Details of the death are included in the FWC incident report.

“I am appalled to hear that 31 sloths have died in the ‘care’ of Sloth World, which has yet to open in Orlando,” U.S. Rep. Maxwell Alejandro Frost, who represents Central Florida and Orlando, said in a social media post.

“By nature solitary animals, these sloths were kept in the worst possible conditions. They were taken from their natural habitat to a crowded warehouse, which was not properly heated, allowing a deadly virus to spread and death from stress,” he continued, adding that his office is investigating the situation.

Investigators said the animals arrived in two separate batches. The first batch, which arrived on December 18, 2024, included 21 sloths from Guyana, including 15 three-toed sloths and six three-toed sloths. The second, which arrived in February 2025, included 10 more three-toed sloths from Peru. All of this was stored in a warehouse just minutes from the site of the future attraction.

However, when the first group of animals arrived, the facility was not ready and lacked electricity and running water. Officials were also told it was “too late to cancel the shipment,” the report said.

The report said most of the deaths were related to “chill stun,” a condition caused by exposure to cold temperatures.

According to the report, heating equipment was installed to combat the temperatures, but at some point the fuse blew, leaving the sloths without heat for at least one night.

On December 22nd, the temperature dropped to 46 degrees.

The second shipment didn’t go as well either. Two of the sloths from Peru were already dead on arrival, and the remaining eight “appeared emaciated and in very poor health” and later died, officials said.

Despite the findings, state investigators imposed no fines or formal violations. They noted several issues with cage compliance and only issued verbal warnings.

At the time of the inspection, the warehouse was operated by Peter Bandre, a licensed wildlife handler, and co-owned by Benjamin Agresta, owner and president of the Sloth World attraction, the report said. However, Fox 35 Orlando reports that Bandre is no longer a co-owner and has no involvement in the project.

One of the former co-owners, who was not publicly identified by Fox 35 Orlando, disputed the FWC’s findings, arguing that the sloths may actually have died from a virus rather than “cold stun.”

“Recently, our facility has been dealing with a difficult situation related to an exotic virus. We have been working tirelessly with our veterinarians, the Florida Department of Agriculture, and other outside experts to successfully identify and address the virus,” he said in a statement.

“We are aware of rumors that the sloths were ‘cold-stunned’ or left without water or electricity. These claims are completely false. Just last week, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission thoroughly inspected our facility, found no wrongdoing, and fully renewed our license.”

“We have always prioritized the health and well-being of our animals and have invested millions of dollars in their care and habitat. We remain deeply committed to the continued care, safety and well-being of our sloths,” the statement continued.

Sloth World markets itself as the world’s only “sloth monorium” and was scheduled to open in March this year. However, the website and much of the attraction’s social media presence now appears to be offline, Fox 35 reports. The attraction claims its mission is educational, offering visitors an insight into sloths while housing them in a research-based protected environment tailored to their natural needs. Once open, Sloth World will offer one-hour contactless tours of its indoor rainforest environment for $49 as part of an “ethical and expert-led” experience.

That schedule may now be in doubt, Fox 35 Orlando reports, as the Orange County Building and Safety Department issued a “stop work” order to the warehouse on Thursday. The order came after an inspection that showed the facility was storing animals without the required permits.

independent person has reached out to FWC, Sloth World Orlando, and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services for comment.