Orange County commissioners want to clamp down on the importation of exotic animals for commercial entertainment following the deaths of dozens of animals at Sloth World, a controversial attraction that never opened.
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Commissioner Nicole Wilson, who initiated the discussion Tuesday, said she wants the county to prohibit any new commercial exotic wildlife exhibits, especially those involving human- touch encounters, from opening.
The Sloth World deaths — more than 55 of the tree-dwelling mammals perished — were “catastrophic” and cast a “dark shadow” on local tourism, she said.
The state’s rules on exotic animals, which allowed Sloth World to import them from the rainforests of Guyana and Peru, “failed these animals,” Wilson added.
Sloth World was initially slated to open its doors in February as a conservation-minded tourist attraction — but it never did. Instead, the business and its owners became embroiled in controversy over animal deaths.
Many sloths intended for display at the International Drive attraction languished and died by early this year in small cages inside an unheated warehouse. Others succumbed to separate health issues. Thirteen surviving animals were transferred to the Central Florida Zoo, suffering from malnutrition and other critical conditions, and several have since died there, despite veterinary care.
In May, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission temporarily banned most sloth imports, following public outcry about Sloth World.
But earlier, the agency concluded that “the owner’s actions did not meet the legal standard for animal cruelty” and that “there was no legal basis for enforcement action or closure.” In an April statement it added, “while the deaths of these animals are tragic, subsequent inspections found the facility compliant with care and housing standards.”
FWC regulates most wildlife imports in the state.
But Wilson and other commissioners said they wanted to explore whether they could use local business licenses and zoning rules to further regulate, or even block, such operations from opening in the county.
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Commissioners unanimously approved the effort and expect to discuss more specific plans at a later date.
The owners of Sloth World didn’t have to disclose the details of their business plans to the county, Wilson said, and the county didn’t have authority to investigate further.
“We need to look at if maybe there’s an opportunity to have something that is more enforceable,” Willson added, advocating for harsher consequences. Permitting fees and fines for violations aren’t enough, she said.
Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando, who is running for Orlando mayor, expressed support for regulatory action to prevent similar wildlife deaths.
“These were wild caught sloths stolen from their environment brought to Orlando for human entertainment,” Eskamani said at the commission meeting. “This was never an accredited facility, never a facility designed to educate or provide a good secure environment. It was designed to make a profit off the sweet, sweet, vulnerable sloths.”
The county plans to exempt qualified operations from these possible wildlife import changes, Wilson said, including accredited zoos, licensed wildlife rehabilitators, veterinary care centers, educational institutions and certain conservation groups.
Commissioner Mayra Uribe said the Sloth World debacle also highlighted the need for a system that would allow people to report problems at similar facilities.
“I just hope we continue to have a mechanism that tells people, ‘If you see something, say something,” Uribe said. “No one ever bothered to say anything until it basically all came about.”
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