A disturbing new report from Florida’s state wildlife regulators has uncovered the deaths of nearly three dozen sloths over a 14-month period at a central Florida animal import facility, caused by inadequate temperature control and substandard living conditions that violated basic wildlife care standards.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s August 2025 inspection report details the first mass mortality event that unfolded in December 2024, when 21 three-fingered sloths imported from the South American nation of Guyana arrived at Sanctuary World Imports, an Orlando-based licensed animal import facility. At the time, unexpected cold snaps pushed indoor temperatures at the facility down to between 40 and 55 degrees Fahrenheit, a range far too cold for the temperature-sensitive tropical animals.
Unlike most mammal species, sloths lack the ability to effectively self-regulate their internal body temperature, according to guidance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. The agency notes that sloths require consistent environmental temperatures between 68 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit to maintain healthy bodily function. Temperatures below this range trigger a life-threatening state of hypothermia, commonly referred to as cold stunning in aquatic and tropical species.
Peter Bandre, the individual listed as the facility’s licensed operator in state documents, acknowledged the lethal conditions to inspectors. He admitted that the warehouse facility where the sloths were housed was not prepared to receive the shipment: it had no running water, no active electrical service, and no insulation to retain heat. Even so, Bandre told regulators that canceling the import shipment was not an option once the animals were en route. The facility purchased portable space heaters to warm the space, but the units overwhelmed the building’s outdated electrical system, tripping a circuit breaker that cut off power and left the sloths without any source of heat for at least one full night. All 21 sloths subsequently died from cold-related hypothermia.
The fatal incident was not an isolated failure, inspection records show. Just two months later, in February 2025, the facility accepted a second shipment of 10 sloths sourced from Peru. Two of the animals were already dead upon arrival at the facility. The remaining eight, visibly underweight and malnourished to the point of emaciation, succumbed to untreated chronic poor health in the weeks following their arrival, bringing the total death toll to 29 sloths over 14 months. State records also note that the facility had already cycled through two prior veterinary consultants, and Bandre told inspectors he was in the process of hiring a third to address the facility’s ongoing animal health issues.
The Associated Press attempted to reach both Bandre and Sanctuary World Imports for comment multiple times following the release of the inspection report, but has not received a response.
In follow-up inspections conducted in March 2026, state regulators documented significant changes to the facility’s operations and ownership. Benjamin Agresta, president of the original Sanctuary World organization, told inspectors that the business had been renamed Sloth World Inc., and that Bandre was no longer associated with the company in any capacity. The AP also attempted to contact Agresta and Sloth World Inc. for comment, and has not received a response as of publication.
Inspectors noted during the March 2026 check that the facility where the 2024 mass mortality event occurred has since been upgraded with independent, dedicated heating and air conditioning systems that maintain a constant 82 degrees Fahrenheit, well within the optimal temperature range for sloth care. Regulators also reported observing no signs of neglect or health issues among the sloths currently held at the updated facility.
