Thirteen sloths surrendered by a now-defunct local attraction are continuing to recover at the Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens, where veterinarians say the animals are showing encouraging signs of improvement.
The sloths were originally part of a planned attraction called “Sloth World,” which is no longer moving forward.
One of the animals, a sloth named Bandit, remains in critical condition. He is among the 13 sloths transferred to the Central Florida Zoo in Sanford last week.
“He’s been on an abundance of treatments since he’s been here,” said Dr. Haley Straub, the zoo’s head veterinarian. “We are really working to rehydrate him and get the nutrition he needs, and we’re seeing slow changes in the right direction.”
Straub said Bandit is still lethargic and weak but is responding to care. She added that all 13 sloths are now showing some level of improvement.
“I think we’re all feeling cautiously optimistic about the status of these animals,” Straub said.
Veterinarians credit the zoo’s warm, humid environment and a specialized diet of leafy greens for aiding in the animals’ recovery. Treatment has also included a more unusual method known as fecal transplantation, which helps restore healthy gut bacteria.
“One thing we can do to help restore that balance is take feces from a healthy sloth and give it to them in a pill or slurry,” Straub said. “They ingest it, and it helps reestablish healthy gut bacteria.”
A report from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission found that at least 31 sloths died in the months before “Sloth World” was set to open. The report attributes the deaths to cold stress after temperatures inside a warehouse dropped into the mid-40s in December.
Zoo officials said they are continuing to closely monitor the animals through bloodwork and supportive care, though it remains unclear exactly what led to their illnesses.
“It’s hard to say exactly how it happened, but the most important thing we can do right now is provide them with that very specialized diet,” Straub said.
WESH 2 News reached out multiple times to Sloth World owner Ben Agresta for comment, but has not received a response.
The sloths are currently being housed in quarantine at the zoo’s hospital and are expected to remain there for at least 30 days. Zoo officials said some of the animals may eventually stay in Sanford, while others could be relocated to different zoos as part of broader conservation efforts.
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