The Sloth World Updates Have Been Devastating, But Today Two Sloths Are Winning
The Sloth World updates have been hard to read since the thirteen survivors arrived at the Central Florida Zoo on April 24. Every update for weeks carried a loss. Four of those thirteen sloths have died. A total of 56 sloths have perished since December 2024. The criminal investigation is open with no charges filed. The damage done to these animals before anyone intervened was severe and, in most cases, irreversible.
Then on May 18 the Central Florida Zoo shared something different.
Two of the nine surviving sloths named Dolce and Chewie have been cleared from the ICU and are now stable while recovering in quarantine. The zoo released photos of the pair resting among branches and greenery inside their recovery habitat. One hangs upside down peeking through leaves. The other looks directly at the camera. Both appear alert and calm. The internet responded exactly the way you would expect when photos of two tiny recovering sloths hit social media after weeks of devastating news.
Who Dolce and Chewie Are
Dolce and Chewie were among the thirteen sloths rescued from an Orange County warehouse and brought to the Central Florida Zoo on April 24. All thirteen arrived severely dehydrated, underweight, and with serious gastrointestinal issues after being held in conditions that included no heat, no running water, and no windows.
Four of the thirteen, those considered most critical upon arrival, have since died. Bandit, Habanero, and Dumpling died with emaciation listed as the cause of death following necropsies, attributed to their previous care at Sloth World. Mr. Ginger, the youngest and smallest sloth at an estimated four to six months old, was humanely euthanized on May 15 after weeks of intensive care that could not overcome the damage done before he arrived. He had been hand-fed every few hours and kept in an incubator to regulate his body temperature. The zoo called him a fighter.
Dolce and Chewie are fighters, too. The Central Florida Zoo used that same word in their May 18 update, describing both sloths as continuing to battle every day as staff monitors their progress. Zoo officials were clear that the situation could still change at any moment. Being cleared from the ICU and stable in quarantine is real progress, but it is not the end of the story.
Where the Broader Sloth Situation Stands
The nine surviving sloths, including Dolce and Chewie, are receiving around-the-clock care at the Central Florida Zoo. Seven of the nine have not been named publicly. Central Florida Zoo CEO Richard Glover has said throughout this process that there is no guarantee any of the remaining sloths will ultimately survive, noting that the animals were fed the wrong diet for a long time, with critical effects on their bodies.
The criminal investigation into Sloth World continues. The Orange County Sheriff’s Office opened the investigation at the request of the State Attorney’s Office and the Florida Attorney General’s Office. No charges have been filed. Florida banned sloth imports until at least July 10 following an executive order from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. A task force has been formed to overhaul the rules governing exotic animal permits.
Fifty-six sloths have died since December 2024. The accountability that conservation organizations and Florida lawmakers have been pushing for has not yet arrived in the form of charges.
Why This Sloth Update Matters
Dolce and Chewie are out of the ICU. They are stable. They are in their recovery habitat, looking at cameras and hanging upside down in branches, and they are alive. After four deaths and 56 total losses, that is the update the people following this story needed to receive.
The zoo called them fighters. They earned it.
