SANFORD, Fla. – The Sanford community is rallying around a group of rescued sloths taken in by the Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens.
The effort comes in the wake of the collapse of Sloth World, an Orlando facility that housed dozens of sloths under conditions authorities have linked to severe neglect and malnutrition.
Records obtained by News 6 from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services show at least 55 sloths have died in connection with the facility.
The Central Florida Zoo took in 13 of the surviving animals, three of which have since passed away.
Among the survivors is Mr. Ginger, the smallest and youngest sloth in the group. The Central Florida Zoo shared an update Friday confirming he remains in critical condition and intensive care, but zoo staff couldn’t resist sharing a few photos of the tiny fighter.
In one photo, Mr. Ginger basks in the Florida sunshine on a good day. In another, he sits patiently on a scale while veterinarians check his weight. In a third, he investigates a green bean between naps, nearly blending in with his plush toys.
“Thank you, Central Florida and beyond, for all of your support,” the zoo wrote in its update.
Sanford Main Street board member Patty Mahany says the situation struck a personal chord.
“Wild animals need to stay in the wild,” Mahany said. “If they’re going to come out of the wild, they need to come to the most supreme, accredited zoos. Sloth World was a bad idea from the get-go.”
Mahany was among the first to ask what the Sanford community could do to help. She reached out to Paul Williams, owner of West End Trading Company and a well-known local fundraiser, with a simple question.
“I said, ‘Paul, how can we raise some money for this? What can we do?” Mahany recalled. “And he came up with this idea immediately.”
Within days, Williams designed a T-shirt bearing the slogan “Help Us Hang In There” — featuring the Central Florida Zoo’s official logo — and the Sanford Main Street initiative was born. The entire effort, from concept to product, came together in less than a week.
“He came up with a great design, we got with the zoo, they approved everything,” Mahany said. “This is the official zoo logo, and we just started rolling from there.”
The shirts, priced at $35 in unisex sizes, are available at the Sanford Welcome Center at 230 E. First St. in downtown Sanford.
A second run of shirts — including youth sizes — is expected to arrive Friday afternoon after the first batch of 100 sold out quickly. Sanford Main Street is also working to make the shirts available for shipping.
Mahany was clear that buyers can feel confident their money is going directly to sloth care. Sanford Main Street has a written contract with the zoo guaranteeing that the proceeds from shirt sales go toward the animals’ medical care and rehabilitation.
“If you buy this shirt, it’s going to the right place — it’s going to the zoo,” Mahany said.
She also issued a warning to would-be supporters about unauthorized shirt sellers who have not contacted the zoo, have not received approval, and have not committed to donating proceeds.
“People need to be careful when they make donations,” Mahany said. “They need to donate directly to the zoo, or they need to buy the shirt from us because we have a contract in writing with the zoo.”
Mahany said the financial burden on the Central Florida Zoo has been significant. In addition to existing staff working extended hours, the zoo has brought in outside veterinarians and sloth experts — including specialists flown in from South America — to help care for the surviving animals.
“It’s almost like a mass casualty,” Mahany said. “The veterinary care is very expensive. The staffing, the flights in and out of South America — they’re doing everything they can do to save these sloths and give them the life that they deserve.”
Mahany added that even those who cannot afford to buy a shirt can still support the zoo in meaningful ways.
“Just taking your child to the zoo for the summer, taking your kid out there for the day — ticket money helps them just equally,” she said. “Think about these for little gifts. And if you can’t do anything else, just keep a good thought for the zoo, for the staff.”