Credit International Drive OrlandoOrlando has built its entire identity around the idea that it is a place where experiences are done right, where the attractions are world class, the standards are high, and the guests who travel from around the world to spend their money here can trust that what they are walking into has been built with care, professionalism, and genuine attention to the experience being promised. That reputation is not accidental. It has been constructed over decades by the major theme parks and attractions that define the destination, and it is sustained by an expectation that anyone operating in the Orlando tourism market is held to a standard that matches what guests expect when they arrive.
That context makes what is currently unfolding around Sloth World, a planned attraction on International Drive that has not yet opened to the public, particularly difficult to look away from. A Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission inspection report has surfaced, revealing the deaths of 31 sloths connected to the operation, and the story has now reached the attention of Florida political figures who are publicly demanding accountability. The attraction has not served a single paying guest yet, and it is already at the center of one of the more troubling animal welfare stories to emerge from the Orlando tourism corridor in recent memory.
What the Inspection Report Found
According to a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission report dated August 7, 2025, inspectors conducted an unannounced visit to a warehouse facility at 7547 International Drive operated by Sanctuary World Imports. The facility was being used to receive and acclimate imported sloths before transferring them to Sloth World at 6582 International Drive, where they were intended to be housed for permanent public exhibit. The most significant portion of the report references an inquiry into the deaths of 31 sloths between December 2024 and February 2025.
According to statements summarized in the report, owner Peter Bandre told inspectors that 21 sloths from Guyana died after arriving during a period when the warehouse was not ready, lacking water and electricity. The report states that space heaters were being powered from another building and, at one point, failed during colder weather. Ten additional sloths from Peru later arrived in poor condition, with two dead on arrival and the remaining eight dying subsequently.
Attempts to reach Sloth World for comment have gone unanswered. A public relations firm previously associated with the attraction has since ended its relationship with the business and directed inquiries to Sloth World’s general email address, which has not responded.
31 sloths died at Sloth World Orlando-owned warehouse: FWC reports https://t.co/tUjUEDkDzb
— FOX 35 Orlando (@fox35orlando) April 21, 2026
A Florida Politician Steps In
The story has drawn the attention of Florida State Representative Anna Eskamani, who posted publicly about Sloth World on Instagram and confirmed she would be contacting the FWC about the situation. Eskamani stated that it is unacceptable that the behavior documented in the inspection report has not led to criminal charges. In a follow-up update to her followers, she confirmed she had spoken to the FWC’s Legislative Liaison and was working to speak directly with the investigator on the case. She also revealed a significant gap in the current regulatory framework, noting that FWC permits do not require any notification when an animal dies, and that without everyday people who care and reported these deaths, it is hard to know when FWC would have even learned about the situation.
Eskamani confirmed in her update that Sloth World currently holds an expired permit and stated clearly that it should stay that way despite the operation’s attempts to get it renewed. She also confirmed that despite the expired permit, the attraction is still in possession of sloths, and indicated she would be reaching out to federal agencies as well as the FWC to continue pursuing the matter.
The Orlando Attraction That Has Not Opened
Sloth World has been delayed from opening for several months. Its website remains unchanged and its social media accounts remain active, with posts that have been described as appearing AI-generated. The International Drive location has sat vacant for an extended period. The space was previously associated with a planned animal attraction called Cool Zoo, which also never opened, making the current situation a continuation of a pattern of unfulfilled promises connected to that address.
International Drive is one of the most heavily trafficked tourist corridors in the United States, sitting in the shadow of Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando Resort, and SeaWorld. The presence of an operation with this track record in that environment raises questions that go beyond the specific situation at Sloth World and touch on how animal-based attractions in the Orlando market are permitted, monitored, and held accountable before they open their doors to the public.
The company is Sloth World Orlando@SlothWorldORL. Spread this info and make them go out of business! https://t.co/hPEL4Q7Swj
— Verónica Sousa (she/ela/ella) 🍉 (@veromariasousa) April 19, 2026
What This Means Going Forward for Orlando
The regulatory gap identified by Representative Eskamani, that FWC permits do not require notification when an animal dies, is the detail that gives the broader story its most significant weight. Thirty-one sloth deaths occurred between December 2024 and February 2025 at a facility connected to a planned public attraction, and the regulatory framework in place did not require anyone to report those deaths to the agency responsible for overseeing the operation. That gap existed regardless of what happened at Sloth World specifically, and the fact that it took public reporting and citizen complaints to bring the situation to light suggests that the current oversight structure for animal-based attractions in Florida has room for meaningful improvement.
For Orlando’s tourism ecosystem, which depends heavily on the trust of guests who arrive expecting high standards across every attraction in the market, the Sloth World situation is a reminder of what happens when those standards are not enforced before the doors open rather than after.
