Another sloth from the Sloth World attraction previously planned for Orlando is dead, marking the 57th known death of an animal connected to the exhibit. The zoo humanely euthanized Willow, a female sloth, on Tuesday.
Eight sloths still remain in the care of the Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens, which on April 24 began caring for 13 sloths from a warehouse for the now-canceled Sloth World exhibit. All 13 animals arrived at the zoo in poor condition.
RELATED: Central Florida Zoo takes in 13 animals from Sloth World, following reported deaths
Willow was the first sloth to die at the zoo in just over a month, since the death of Mr. Ginger, a baby sloth, on May 15. (The sloths already had names when they arrived at the zoo in Sanford.)
Sloths are sensitive animals, with highly specific dietary needs and slow metabolisms. Their slow digestive systems can delay the onset of symptoms until they become more severe and difficult to treat.
“Everything about them [is] slow,” lead zoo veterinarian James Bogan told Central Florida Public Media during a May 6 interview. “They move slow, they get sick slow, they get better slow. And so it's going to be awhile before we really are out of the woods here.”
While most of the animals have made some progress since arriving at the zoo, staff said none arrived in good condition. Several arrived in especially critical condition, and some were underweight with digestive issues.
“In her decline, Willow showed similar digestive symptoms to those sloths who arrived in need of critical treatment,” according to the zoo’s webpage dedicated to sharing updates about the animals.
The nonprofit zoo is accepting donations to help with veterinary care costs. The eight sloths still remaining at the zoo are being cared for behind the scenes, away from public view and additional stressors.
Meanwhile, leading sloth experts are pushing for Florida to enact stronger and more specific regulatory protections for the animals. The experts’ recommendations include a ban on hands-on sloth encounters; mandatory reporting of sloth deaths, births, sales and transfers; and a ban on the importation of sloths captured in the wild.
Most live sloth shipments into the United States come through the Port of Miami, according to research published by The Sloth Institute.
RELATED: Experts recommend import ban, new FWC rules after Sloth World's animal deaths
The Sloth World exhibit previously planned for Orlando’s International Drive was ultimately canceled, following reporting that raised widespread concern about the sloths’ poor living conditions and dozens of animal deaths. The nonprofit outlet Inside Climate News first broke the story.
