Central Florida Zoo Mourns Another Sloth Death From Rescue Group
The Central Florida Zoo has shared difficult news with its community this week. Willow, one of 13 sloths brought to the Zoo in late April following the closure of Sloth World, has passed away after weeks of dedicated medical care could not reverse her declining health.
A Steady Decline Despite Constant Sloth Care
Willow arrived at the Zoo on April 24 as part of a larger rescue effort, joining a group of sloths that included several animals in critical condition and others struggling with malnutrition and digestive problems. From the start, the Zoo’s Animal Care, Nutrition, and Veterinary teams worked to give each sloth individualized treatment based on their specific needs.
Despite daily care and regular medical treatment, Willow’s condition steadily worsened over the past several weeks. The Zoo consulted with outside experts through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums to perform a thorough quality of life assessment. After that evaluation, veterinarians made the painful decision to humanely euthanize her rather than allow her suffering to continue. Her symptoms in the final stretch closely resembled the digestive issues seen in some of the sloths who arrived in the most fragile condition back in April.
Central Florida Zoo CEO Richard Glover spoke to the loss, expressing the team’s heartbreak while also emphasizing that Willow received the highest level of care and support throughout her time at the facility. It is a sentiment that has carried through the Zoo’s communications since the rescue began, acknowledging both the sadness of the outcome and the genuine effort behind every attempt to save her.
Eight Sloths Remain in Recovery
Following Willow’s passing, eight sloths remain in the Zoo’s care: Chewy, Dolce, Phantom, Blackberry, Hazel, Leeloo, Mojo Jojo, and Pearl. All eight continue in quarantine, where the care team monitors them closely and provides ongoing treatment as needed. Zoo officials have stressed that maintaining a low-stress environment is essential to supporting these animals as they continue to heal.
The Zoo’s updates over the past several weeks have offered the public a window into the personalities and progress of the surviving sloths. Blackberry and Hazel, two of the larger females in the group, share a habitat and have become known for very different temperaments, Blackberry eager to greet keepers each morning, Hazel more often found dozing in a hammock. Phantom drew attention after markings were discovered on the sloth’s belly, which the Zoo believes were placed by wildlife traffickers to identify the animal before it was transported and sold, a stark reminder of the circumstances that led to this rescue in the first place.
The care team has also been training the sloths to step voluntarily onto a specially designed weigh box, allowing staff to track their weight without added stress. Willow, Mojo Jojo, and Leeloo were among the first sloths the team successfully weighed using this method.
Continuing the Sloth Work
Willow’s death is a hard moment in a recovery effort that has already tested the patience and dedication of everyone involved. The Zoo’s commitment to the remaining eight sloths has not changed, and officials have continued to thank the public for the support shown throughout this process.
As Chewy, Dolce, Phantom, Blackberry, Hazel, Leeloo, Mojo Jojo, and Pearl continue their recoveries, the Central Florida Zoo will likely keep sharing updates, both the hard ones and the hopeful ones, as this group of rescued sloths works toward the futures they were denied before they ever arrived in Florida.
Source: The Central Florida Zoo
