Florida Politician Calls for Deadly Orlando Attraction to Shut Down
An Orlando attraction that has never opened to the public is already under serious scrutiny, and the details coming out of a Florida wildlife inspection report are making it very difficult to see a path forward for the operation. Sloth World, a planned attraction on International Drive in Orlando, has been connected to the deaths of 31 sloths before a single paying guest ever walked through the door. A Florida state representative has now gone public with demands that the attraction never opens, and the regulatory gaps she uncovered in the process raise questions that extend well beyond this specific situation.
What the Inspection Report Says
A Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission report dated August 7, 2025, documents an unannounced inspection of a warehouse facility at 7547 International Drive operated by Sanctuary World Imports. The facility was being used to receive and acclimate imported sloths before transferring them to the Sloth World location at 6582 International Drive for permanent public exhibit. The report references an inquiry into the deaths of 31 sloths between December 2024 and February 2025.
According to statements summarized in the report, owner Peter Bandre told inspectors that 21 sloths from Guyana died after arriving at a warehouse that was not ready, lacking water and electricity. Space heaters were being powered from another building and failed during colder weather. Ten additional sloths from Peru arrived in poor condition, with two dead on arrival and the remaining eight dying afterward.
Sloth World has not responded to inquiries. A public relations firm previously associated with the attraction ended its relationship with the business and directed questions to a general email address that has gone unanswered.
The Political Response
Florida State Representative Anna Eskamani went public on Instagram this week, stating she would be contacting the FWC about the situation and calling it unacceptable that the documented behavior has not resulted in criminal charges. In a follow-up update, she confirmed she had spoken to the FWC’s Legislative Liaison and was working to reach the investigator on the case directly. She revealed that FWC permits do not require any notification when an animal dies, describing it as a major gap that needs to be closed immediately. She also confirmed that without concerned citizens reporting the deaths, it is unclear when the FWC would have learned about them at all.
Eskamani confirmed that Sloth World currently holds an expired permit and stated clearly that it should stay expired despite the operation’s attempts to renew it. She also confirmed the attraction is still in possession of sloths despite that expiration and said she would be reaching out to federal agencies in addition to the FWC.
The Orlando Attraction That Has Never Opened
Sloth World has been delayed from opening for several months. Its website is unchanged, and its social media remains active with posts described as appearing AI-generated. The International Drive location has been vacant for an extended period and was previously associated with another animal attraction called Cool Zoo, which also never opened.
The location sits in one of the most heavily visited tourist corridors in the United States, surrounded by major theme parks and attractions that operate under significantly higher standards of care and oversight. The contrast between what those operations represent and what the Sloth World inspection report describes is stark.
The Regulatory Gap
The detail that Representative Eskamani surfaced about FWC permit requirements is the part of this story with the broadest implications. Thirty-one sloths died at a facility connected to a planned public attraction and the regulatory framework in place did not require anyone to report those deaths to the agency overseeing the operation. The situation only came to light because members of the public noticed and reported it. That gap exists regardless of what happens with Sloth World specifically, and closing it is a separate and necessary conversation from whatever accountability follows for this particular operation.
The company is Sloth World Orlando@SlothWorldORL. Spread this info and make them go out of business! https://t.co/hPEL4Q7Swj
— Verónica Sousa (she/ela/ella) 🍉 (@veromariasousa) April 19, 2026
For now, the attraction has an expired permit, is still holding animals, and has a Florida state representative actively working to ensure it never opens.
