Sloth World investigation closed without charges as calls for change grow

ORLANDO, Fla. - Two days after the Orange County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO) closed its investigation into the Sloth World sloths without recommending criminal charges, reaction and calls for legislative change continue to build across Central Florida and the conservation community.

Eight surviving sloths rescued from Sloth World have officially cleared quarantine at the Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens in Sanford. 

Road to recovery

The backstory:

While the animals remain in isolation as their recovery continues, zoo officials say their health is heading in the right direction.

"When they came in and we saw the condition they were in, I don't think any of us thought, four months later, we'd still have eight with us and that they would be as healthy as they seem right now," said Richard Glover, CEO of the Central Florida Zoo. "Based on their body conditions, based on the way they're eating, based on their fecal condition, everything seems to be pointing in the right direction."

Despite their physical progress, staff emphasize that the animals' stress levels remain high. Unpredictable weather, including routine Central Florida thunderstorms, can startle the sloths enough to cause them to stop eating for days at a time.

No charges filed despite high death toll

The health updates follow the closure of a 44-page investigation by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. Investigators concluded there was no evidence of intentional harm, abuse, or criminal intent.

"It's hard to look at this and see that there probably aren't going to be any real repercussions for what happened," Glover said. "Yes, they didn't break any laws and there wasn't any clear criminal neglect, but certainly there were some poor judgments in how they chose to do things and the fact that they kept doing it even when animals continue to die."

Discrepancy reveals hidden death

Central Florida Zoo staff accounted for 11 of the 20 witnesses interviewed during the investigation. When zoo crews originally arrived at Sloth World to transport the animals, they were told 14 sloths would be released into their care. Only 13 were handed over.

"Our curator asked before they left, 'Is this right? There's only 13.' And they were told they just miscounted," Glover recalled.

The OSCO report revealed that explanation was false. The 14th sloth, named Pisco, allegedly died before transport crews arrived.

The finding brought the known death toll at Sloth World to at least 58. Authorities maintained the deaths were not legally considered the result of improper care under current state standards.