As Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation officials investigated a wildlife import facility in Orlando, their August inspection report described multiple deaths among sloths over a two-year span connected to cold weather, facility conditions, and health problems in animals arriving from overseas.
The report said 21 sloths imported from Guyana died at a facility called Sanctuary World Imports in December 2024 after temperatures dropped into the 40-to-55 degree Fahrenheit range. The state tied the deaths to both disease and cold exposure, according to the report, and it cited the difficulty sloths have regulating body temperature compared with other mammals.
The state report also described the warehouse’s readiness as a key factor. It said the building had no water and no electricity, and it was not prepared to receive the animals when they arrived. The report attributed the situation to a failure of heat during the initial holding period, leaving the sloths without heat for at least one night.
Peter Bandre, who the report listed as the facility’s licensee, said the sloths died of what he called a “cold stun.” Bandre told reporters the building was not ready for the shipment, that the facility later purchased space heaters, and that the heaters tripped a fuse and shut down—leaving the animals alone without heat long enough for the cold exposure to occur, according to the state report.
Bandre also said the facility planned to hire for a new veterinarian after the incident. The August report described additional deaths after the facility later ordered sloths from Peru, which arrived in February 2025. State officials said two sloths were dead on arrival, and the remainder were described as appearing emaciated and dying from “poor health issues,” according to the report.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture cited in the report states that sloths do best in a range of 68-to-85 degrees Fahrenheit, reflecting how cold temperatures can pose a major risk for the animals.
In later state inspections conducted in March 2026, inspectors reported that the company operating the facility had changed its name, and that they observed different conditions than those described for the December 2024 episode. Those follow-up reports said Sanctuary World President Benjamin Agresta had changed the name to Sloth World Inc. and said Bandre was no longer affiliated with the business.
The March inspection reports said inspectors found independent heat and air conditioning with a temperature constantly set at 82 degrees Fahrenheit, and they said inspectors did not observe issues with the sloths the facility was holding at the time of those visits. The Associated Press reported it left messages seeking comment in relation to the later inspections, but those messages were not immediately returned.
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