Surviving Sloths From the Controversial Orlando Attraction Reached a Major Milestone
It has been a difficult few months for the sloths rescued from Sloth World and for the people who have been following their recovery at the Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Gardens. Today, there is genuinely good news to share, and after the heartbreak of losing Bandit, Habanero, Dumpling, and young Mr. Ginger in the weeks following their April 24 arrival, good news from this story feels worth stopping to acknowledge properly.
Three of the surviving sloths have successfully completed voluntary weigh-ins. Three more have been cleared of ICU-level care. The biological quarantine period has concluded. The direction of the recovery story has changed.
The Weigh-In Milestone
The Central Florida Zoo’s animal care team has been working on voluntary weight training with the sloths, a process designed to allow weight monitoring without direct handling or unnecessary stress. The system was developed by Kayce, the Zoo’s Behavioral Husbandry Coordinator, using a custom weigh box that coaxes sloths inside with their favorite foods. Inside the box is a perch where the sloths can hang comfortably, while the entire box is attached to a hanging scale similar to a luggage scale.
Willow, Mojo Jojo, and Leeloo have all successfully completed weigh-ins using the box. The team is continuing to work with the remaining sloths on the voluntary process. Weight monitoring is critical for tracking recovery progress in animals that arrived underweight and dehydrated in April, and doing it through a voluntary low-stress mechanism rather than direct handling is better for both the data and the animals.
The ICU Milestone for the Sloths
Dolce, Chewie, and Phantom have all been cleared of ICU-level care, meaning they have gone approximately a week without requiring consistent medical intervention. Phantom was the most recent addition to the post-ICU group after a solid weekend of progress. Phantom shares a habitat with Chewie and was named for the distinctive markings on their belly and their tendency to hide in the hammock. Favorite foods include yellow squash, zucchini, sweet potatoes, cucumbers, and Mazuri sloth diet.
The Quarantine Update
The nine surviving sloths recently passed the thirty-day biological quarantine milestone, which has changed some of the procedural requirements for the care team. The booties and full personal protective equipment previously required for everyone entering the sloth area have been partially dialed back. The sloths remain behind the scenes, receiving daily care from a small dedicated team in constant contact with specialists from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
The animals remain protected from additional environmental stressors, including the introduction of new staff members, which could set back recovery progress. Everything about sloth recovery is slow, and the care team has been consistently patient and thorough throughout the process.
The weigh-in progress, the ICU milestones, and the quarantine update together represent the most encouraging cluster of news since the sloths arrived in April. The road is still long. But the direction has changed.
