Sanford community raises money to care for rescued sloths

Sanford residents and local organizations are helping fund the care of 10 sloths now housed at the Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens, where veterinarians are treating animals that survived a troubled transfer from Sloth World Orlando. The zoo accepted 13 sloths on April 24, 2026, but three have since died, leaving the youngest survivor, Mr. Ginger, in intensive care and still in critical condition as of May 8.

The rescue has become a local mobilization effort as much as a zoo operation. Sanford Main Street is selling a limited-edition $35 Help Us Hang In There T-shirt, and 100% of the proceeds go to the zoo’s rescue work. The first day of sales brought in more than $3,700, an early sign that Sanford and the surrounding Seminole County community are willing to shoulder part of the cost of keeping the animals alive and stable.

That cost is substantial. Zoo officials said the sloths need about three months of quarantine, treatment and monitoring, with care running at least $1,000 a day for medicine, food, lab work and other support. Total expenses could reach $200,000. Donations go to the zoo, which is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and help cover the medical care and rehabilitation needed for the animals as they recover.

The sloths were found to be a mix of Hoffmann’s two-toed sloths and Linnaeus’s two-toed sloths. Zoo staff said many arrived dehydrated and underweight, and the animals were placed in quarantine for at least 30 days. Some may eventually move to other AZA-accredited facilities through the Species Survival Plan program, while others could remain at the Sanford zoo if their care allows.

The rescue also has exposed the scale of what went wrong before the transfer. FOX 35 Orlando reported that more than 30 sloths died at Sloth World before the attraction’s planned opening, and that the warehouse used by the business was not permitted to house animals. The Central Florida Zoo later said Bandit died from severe emaciation and effusions, and announced on May 3 that Habanero had died after being in critical condition.

The crisis has drawn attention from lawmakers and conservation experts as well. On May 6, the zoo hosted U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost, Florida State Rep. Anna Eskamani, Dr. Rebecca Cliffe of The Sloth Conservation Foundation and Sam Trull of The Sloth Institute Costa Rica to discuss the sloths’ care and possible reforms around exotic-animal permitting and imports. For Sanford, the fundraiser has become a test of how quickly a community can respond when an animal-welfare crisis lands in its own backyard.