SANFORD, Fla. – UPDATE:
On Sunday the zoo announced they were saddened by the loss of Habanero identified as one of the most vulnerable sloths taken as a donation from Sloth World.
The veterinary and animal care teams treated him and saw early signs of progress, but his condition began rapidly deteriorating Thursday afternoon, they said.
When it became clear his condition would not improve, officials said the decision was made Saturday to humanely euthanize him.
“At this time, two additional animals are in guarded condition,” officials said.
The team is working in consultation with experts from around the country and expects the effort to be a long one, officials said.
ORIGINAL STORY:
A sloth that arrived in critical condition as part of a group of 13 animals donated to the Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Gardens by the failed Orlando attraction, Sloth World, has died.
On Wednesday, the zoo announced it was mourning the loss of Bandit, who had shown some signs of improvement since arriving at the zoo’s quarantine area, but took a sudden turn for the worse and died after veterinarians made the difficult decision to humanely euthanize him.
“We are heartbroken by the loss,” said Richard E. Glover Jr., CEO of the Central Florida Zoo. “Our team did everything possible to give him the best chance at survival and ensure he was comfortable in his final days.”
The 13 sloths had been in quarantine for four days when zoo officials first raised the alarm about their condition. Veterinarians said most of the animals arrived showing signs of dehydration and malnutrition. Among the most vulnerable was Bandit.
The zoo confirmed the remaining 12 sloths are currently in stable condition. Staff said their full focus has now shifted to ensuring those animals continue to recover.
The Central Florida Zoo is asking the public for donations to help cover the cost of the animals’ rehabilitation.
News 6 Orange County Community Correspondent Jayna Manohalal spoke briefly with Sloth World founder Ben Agresta last Wednesday regarding the 31 reported deaths and how they died.
During that call, Agresta said the sloths died from an “unknown virus.” He also denied wrongdoing and said investigators had not found any issues involving staff.
“But they’ve also found no wrongdoing by any of our staff or anybody. We’ve just been dealing with a foreign-born virus,” Agresta said
But a former Sloth World employee disputes that account.
“He’s lying about that. There were no viruses. It was bad conditions in him not taking care of his property. His business,” the former employee said.
The employee also said the company’s priorities were misplaced during its buildup.
“That was the thing he was most worried about was selling merch and selling pre-sale tickets,” he said. “Ben had plans to use the money towards the construction of Sloth World.”
The former employee also said he raised concerns internally about the animals’ well-being while the project continued moving forward.
The Sloth World website remains online, though ticket links now direct users to an email sign-up page.