Sloth Conservation Organizations Warn Against U.S. Attraction Sourcing Wild-Caught Sloths for Commercial Entertainment
Summary: Sloth conservation organizations are raising concerns after confirming that Sloth World Orlando sourced wild-caught sloths from Guyana and Peru for commercial exhibition. The statement highlights conservation, welfare, and ethical risks associated with removing sloths from the wild for entertainment.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 21st, 2026
Costa Rica
The Sloth Conservation Foundation (SloCo) and The Sloth Institute (TSI), two non-profit organizations specializing in sloth research, welfare, rehabilitation, and conservation, are jointly voicing concerns following confirmation that a new sloth attraction opening in Florida has acquired wild sloths from Guyana and Peru for commercial exhibition.
The facility, marketed as “Sloth World” and featuring a walk-through “Slotharium,” confirmed to SloCo that its collection includes wild-caught two-fingered and three-fingered sloths sourced from the forests of Guyana and the Peruvian Amazon. Sloth World reported plans to maintain a rotating population of more than 40 individuals and to develop a breeding program to establish a long-term captive population for exhibition. A public job advertisement for a Sloth World husbandry role stated care for “up to 65 sloths,” suggesting the facility intends to manage a significantly larger captive population than has been publicly communicated.
The two organizations are issuing this statement in response to multiple public inquiries and growing media interest.
Wild sourcing raises serious conservation and welfare concerns
Sloths are wild mammals with complex ecological needs and no history of domestication. Extracting sloths from the wild for entertainment facilities can contribute to demand for capture and export, particularly in source countries with limited monitoring capacity, and provides no direct conservation benefit to wild populations.
“Sloths are not domesticated animals, and three-fingered sloths in particular are exceptionally poorly suited to captivity,” said Dr. Rebecca Cliffe, founder and director of SloCo.
“Removing wild animals from the rainforest for use in entertainment facilities risks normalizing wildlife extraction at a time when many species are already under pressure from habitat loss.”
“When removed from the forest canopy and shipped internationally to the US, sloths often suffer from serious health issues related to the change in suitable diet and exposure to an artificial environment. For a lot of captured sloths, this leads to their death.” said Sam Trull, Co-Founder and Executive Director of TSI.
Reports of kidney failure and digestive disease are frequent amongst wild-caught captive sloths. Just this past December, Tanginika Wildlife Park in Kansas announced the sudden deaths of three two-fingered sloths (Choloepus didactylus) from kidney disease. “Stories such as this are common. Wild caught sloths just don’t thrive in captivity. I have personally been contacted on multiple occasions by desperate veterinarians from the US wondering how to save a sloth that is dying on their table.” said Trull, co-founder of TSI.
Sloths rely on natural microclimates and specialized diets, making them difficult to maintain in artificial environments and vulnerable to stress-related illness. Captivity-associated mortality rates have historically been high for many populations, particularly for three-fingered sloths. Sloth World also reported piloting the use of Pale-throated sloths (Bradypus tridactylus), a species with very limited captive success globally. Captive breeding in sloths is also rarely achieved, with no reports of captive breeding success in the US of Bradypus species.
Conservation claims require transparency and alignment with best practice
Sloth World has announced plans to support conservation activities through partnerships with rescue centers in Central America, but SloCo and TSI emphasize that such partnerships do not alter the underlying sourcing model.
“Supporting rescue centers does not change the fact that sloths were taken from the wild for commercial display,” said Cliffe, founder of SloCo. “Conservation cannot be retrofitted onto models that rely on wildlife removal. There is no justification in 2026 for acquiring wild sloths for exhibition”.
Cliffe added: “As the director of a non-profit conservation organization, I really do understand the importance of funding and how important it is for sustaining conservation work. However, conservation organizations also have a responsibility to define what ethical fundraising looks like.”
Collectively, we urge the public to support organizations and companies that demonstrate genuine conservation impact. Transparency is essential to ensuring that well-intentioned support does not inadvertently contribute to the harm or decline of the very species it aims to protect. While funding remains a persistent challenge in grassroots conservation, ethical practices must remain non-negotiable. Addressing and rejecting exploitative models is paramount to the long-term protection of sloths and other wildlife.
Greenwashing is defined by the Cambridge Dictionary as: behaviour or activities that make people believe that a company is doing more to protect the environment than it really is.
“The irony of extracting sloths from the wild, to act as a money-making attraction for funding the conservation of sloths in the wild, is staggering.”
Sloth World management linked to private sloth trade
Sloth World identifies Pete Bandre as its “Vice President, Sloth Specialist, and Head of Animal Care.” Bandre is also the administrator of a Facebook page focused on private sloth ownership and captive husbandry. Public business records additionally list Bandre as a former CEO of Incredible Pets Inc., a U.S. company advertising sloths for sale to private buyers. According to publicly accessible U.S. wildlife import data, Incredible Pets Inc. imported 80 sloths into the United States between 2011 and 2021, making it one of the largest documented importers of these animals during that period.
New regulatory scrutiny under CITES
This issue comes at a significant regulatory moment. In late 2025, two-fingered sloths (Choloepus spp.) received strengthened international protections under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), following concern over increasing exports from Guyana to the United States.
Analysis by The Sloth Institute of U.S. wildlife import data shows that between 2011 and 2021, 1,141 of 1,146 sloths imported into the United States were taken from the wild, with 97% originating from Guyana and most entering through Miami. The most frequently imported species was the two-fingered sloth (Choloepus didactylus).
These figures helped motivate the new CITES measures, which aim to increase oversight and reduce pressure on wild populations. Sloth World’s animals appear to have been exported prior to these strengthened protections taking effect. Pale-throated sloths (Bradypus tridactylus) are not yet covered by the specific measures adopted in 2025.
Call for industry standards
SloCo and TSI are urging U.S. policymakers, zoological associations, and the wildlife tourism sector to establish clear standards prohibiting the commercial importation and exhibition of wild-caught sloths for entertainment purposes.
“This kind of facility is designed to attract sloth lovers worldwide, but what about what the sloths want? Sloths are happiest when left undisturbed, high up in the forest canopy with a little bit of sunshine, a fresh breeze and ample opportunity for a good scratch,” said Trull. “I just wish loving sloths translated into leaving them in the wild.”
“We are witnessing a worrying global trend in wildlife entertainment facilities acquiring wild animals under a conservation narrative. These practices risk undermining genuine conservation efforts and confusing the public about what conservation actually is.”
About the Sloth Conservation Foundation
The Sloth Conservation Foundation (SloCo) is a non-profit organization based in Costa Rica working to protect sloths through scientific research, habitat restoration, community programs, and policy advocacy. SloCo collaborates with universities, governments, Indigenous groups, and international partners to safeguard sloths across their natural range.
About The Sloth Institute
The Sloth Institute (TSI) is a licensed non-profit organization based in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica. TSI advances sloth conservation and welfare through rescue, rehabilitation, research, and education, while leading innovative conservation initiatives, including strategic reforestation and habitat connectivity programs. TSI collaborates with governments, accredited wildlife institutions, universities, and conservation professionals to protect sloths and their habitats worldwide.
Media Contacts:
SloCo: Dr. Rebecca Cliffe, contact@slothconservation.org, www.slothconservation.org
TSI: Sam Trull, sam@theslothinstitute.org, www.theslothinstitute.org