A rescued sloth at the center of a troubling Florida animal welfare case has died, marking another loss in the aftermath of the now-closed Sloth World attraction in Orlando.
What's happening?
The Central Florida Zoo announced Tuesday that Dumpling, a sloth it took in on April 24, died after a rapid decline linked to digestive and gastrointestinal issues.
In a statement posted on Instagram, the zoo said Dumpling was among a small group of rescued animals that arrived from Sloth World in critical condition. Veterinarians and staff treated the sloth for 11 days before a "rapid downturn" on Monday.
The zoo summed up the emotional toll in its post: "This has been an incredibly difficult week for our team, as everyone involved in caring for these animals can attest."
How did the situation get to this point?
Florida officials from the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission are investigating Sloth World after more than 55 sloths died there. The Florida Attorney General, James Uthmeier, wrote in a press statement that "Our office is unwavering in its commitment to pursuing justice on behalf of those who are unable to protect themselves. We will ensure accountability wherever the evidence requires."
Many of these sloths, which were born in the wild before being transported to Sloth World, also died due to similar gastrointestinal problems exhibited by Dumpling. The animals were kept in cages in a warehouse, where viewers would've paid $49 to see them, per Inside Climate News.
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But the conditions of the warehouse were poor, and dozens of the sloths perished after being cold-stunned. Despite the initial slew of deaths, more sloths were still brought to the facility where most died. The attraction never opened to the public.
Ana María Villada Rosales, a veterinarian who works at Costa Rica's The Sloth Institute, wrote that "the intense physiological strain of international transit, diet change, and wild capture most likely suppressed their immune systems."
The Central Florida Zoo is continuing to care for the surviving rescued animals despite the uncertainty surrounding their recovery. Several other rescued sloths died before Dumpling, and at least one more is still in critical condition.
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