Support the SLOTHS Act: End Wild-Caught Sloth Imports into the U.S.
The Stopping Legalized Organized Trafficking and Harm to Sloths Act of 2026, or the SLOTHS Act, is a bipartisan bill that would prohibit the importation of sloths into the United States
20 Wild Sloths
1,146 Sloths Imported
Into the United States between 2011 and 2021
99.5%
of the sloths are taken from the wild
9 out of 10
sloths don’t survive the capture and trade
estimated to die during capture and transport for every sloth reaching the market.
Where Is the SLOTHS Act Now?
Current status: Introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives. Awaiting the H.R. number and Committee Assignment (24 to 48 hours).
Ask Congress to Support the SLOTHS Act
*U.S. Residents Only
Step 1: Find Your U.S. Representative
Use the official House of Representatives tool to find your congressional district.
Step 2: Contact Congress
You can send a message through your elected officials’ contact forms, write a letter, or call their offices. Choose an option below to find email templates and phone scripts.
Please contact only the representative for the congressional district where you live. Congressional offices give the greatest weight to messages from their own constituents.
Templates
Phone Script
Hello, my name is [Name], and I live in [City, ZIP Code]. I’m calling to ask Representative [Last Name] to cosponsor H.R. [NUMBER], the bipartisan SLOTHS Act.
More than 99% of live sloths imported into the United States between 2011 and 2021 were taken from the wild. This bill would prohibit sloth imports, with limited exceptions, and help reduce the demand driving their capture and suffering.
Will the Representative cosponsor the bill and encourage the House Committee on Natural Resources to advance it?
Thank you.
Mail/Email Template #
Subject: Please support the SLOTHS Act, H.R. [NUMBER]
Dear Representative [Last Name],
As your constituent, I urge you to support/cosponsor H.R. [NUMBER], the bipartisan SLOTHS Act, which would prohibit sloth imports into the United States, with limited exceptions.
More than 99% of live sloths imported between 2011 and 2021 were wild-caught, and imports more than doubled over that decade. Ending these imports would help reduce the demand driving the capture and suffering of wild sloths.
The SLOTHS Act would prohibit sloth imports and it would address the problem at its source by helping reduce the demand driving the capture of wild sloths.
Please cosponsor the bill and encourage the House Committee on Natural Resources to advance it.
[Add a sentence explaining why protecting sloths matters to you.]
I would appreciate a response confirming your position. Thank you for representing our community.
Sincerely,
[Full Name]
[Street Address]
[City, State, ZIP Code]
Every year, hundreds of sloths are taken from their forests and shipped to the United States, a major destination for the sloth trade.
Why the wild-caught sloth trade must end
Most animals do not survive the journey: An estimated 90% of sloths taken from the wild for this trade die before reaching the United States.
Cruelty begins at capture: Young sloths are separated from their mothers.
The public is kept in the dark: Many visitors and buyers do not know that sloths used in commercial encounters or sold as pets were captured from the wild.
It provides no conservation benefit: Sloths sold through the commercial trade are not part of accredited breeding, research, or release programs, and they will never return to the wild.
It creates public health and safety risks: Sloths are wild animals capable of inflicting serious bites, and they may carry pathogens that pose risks to people and other animals.
World Animal Protection
The Stopping Legalized Organized Trafficking and Harm to Sloths Act of 2026, or the SLOTHS Act:
Ban sloth imports into the United States, with limited exceptions.
Allow eligible captive sloths to be transferred to AZA-accredited institutions for breeding programs, provided they were not taken from the wild after the bill becomes law.
Allow deceased sloths to be imported for documented research purposes.
Establish penalties, including civil penalties of up to $20,000, criminal fines of up to $100,000 for knowing violations, cancellation of applicable federal authorizations, and forfeiture of illegally imported sloths.
Reduce the demand that drives the trade in wild sloths.
The bill was developed through months of close collaboration between the Sloth Protection Alliance, a coalition formed by The Sloth Conservation Foundation and The Sloth Institute, and U.S. lawmakers.
The SLOTHS Act is endorsed by the Sloth Conservation Foundation, the Sloth Institute, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the Animal Welfare Institute, the Animal Legal Defense Fund, and the International Fund for Animal Welfare.
