Thanks to you, wild-caught sloths were saved from the tourist entertainment venue Sloth World in Orlando, Florida.
After public uproar over Sloth World, an animal exploitation venue that was set to open in Orlando, Florida, the company announced that it’s abandoning its plan to open and is filing for bankruptcy. Sloth World was planning to use wild-caught sloths from Guyana and Peru for an interactive tourist experience, and safe to say, no animal advocates were okay with this.
World Animal Protection US alerted supporters, and over 4,200 individuals emailed the city of Orlando and Visit Orlando, urging them not to let Sloth World open. Supporters were also encouraged to leave negative Google reviews. Our quote appeared in The Guardian, helping to raise awareness of this issue:
“The torturous conditions these sloths were subjected to are a tragic example of the cruel and unethical wildlife trade. These solitary, reclusive animals were brutally taken from their natural habitat, left to starve and freeze, and eventually died of infection. The ruthless appetite to exploit wild animals just to make money must be addressed, and it must be done now. We urge everyone to boycott Sloth World and to take action for the venue to be shut down immediately.”
- Nicole Barrantes, Wildlife Campaign Manager, World Animal Protection, US
Before being captured, these sloths lived in the wild, up in the forest canopy, far from humans. During transport, they were starved, left to freeze, and according to inspection reports, 31 died of infection in a warehouse without electricity or water, including a nine-month-old baby named Kiwi. After Sloth World announced it wouldn’t open, 13 sloths were left, but after being taken in by the Central Florida Zoo, one sloth named Bandit died shortly after, leaving only 12.
The remaining sloths are under the zoo’s care, each currently receiving individual attention. Once their health is back to normal, they will be transferred to other zoos. While this is better than Sloth World, it is not ideal. The best solution is to transfer the sloths to an accredited sanctuary if bringing them back to the wild isn’t possible.
How You Can Help–Take Our Wildlife Selfie Code Pledge
Take the pledge and remember to never take a photo hugging or holding an animal. Help end the cruel industry that takes animals from the wild and forces them to live in poor, unsanitary conditions. Only take photos if you’re a safe distance from an animal, they can move freely, and they’re in their natural home.