THE COMMERICAL SLOTH TRADE
ENDS NOW
Two of the world’s leading sloth conservation organizations have united to fight the exploitation and trafficking of wild sloths into the United States, and we need your help to make it permanent.
VISION STATEMENT
MISSION STATEMENT
VISION STATEMENT
Creating a United States where wildlife policy reflects scientific knowledge and ethical responsibility, and where sloths are no longer imported or used in commercial settings that compromise their welfare.
MISSION STATEMENT
To end the import and commercial exploitation of sloths in the United States by advancing evidence-based policy, supporting regulatory reform, and engaging directly with lawmakers, agencies, and the public to ensure that sloth welfare is protected through enforceable legislation.
An alliance committed to dismantling the commercial sloth trade by advancing laws, strengthening regulations, and exposing cruelty to safeguard sloths from commercial exploitation while championing ethical conservation solutions, globally.
Florida has temporarily halted sloth imports for 60 days. Federal legislation is now under consideration.
WHAT HAPPENED?
'Sloth World' lifted the curtain on a hidden industry
In April 2026, the world finally learned the harsh reality about a facility called Sloth World in Orlando, Florida. More than 60 sloths had been violently and legally captured from the rainforest, imported into the United States, and kept in appalling conditions.
At least 55 have since died. The surviving sloths were surrendered and transferred into emergency care, where they are fighting for their lives.
But Sloth World was not an isolated incident. It was the first time the public got a glimpse of what has really been happening behind the scenes because, under the current law, this is entirely legal.
Every year, hundreds of wild sloths are captured from rainforests and shipped into the United States to supply the exotic pet trade and commercial exhibition industry: roadside zoos where people pay to hold them for photos, with no idea about the suffering behind the experience
Sloths captured from the rainforest and held at Sloth World
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+
Of live sloth imports are estimated to be wild-caught
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%
Sloths confirmed dead following the facility's discovery
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Die during the capture and trafficking process
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%
"How could this possibly happen in the United States?"
The answer: because it's legal. That's what we're here to change.
WHO WE ARE
Two Organizations. One Mission.
Caribbean Coast
sloth conservation foundation
The Sloth Conservation Foundation
(SloCo) is internationally recognized for its long-term research on wild sloth populations and its conservation initiatives in Costa Rica. Through field-based science, habitat restoration, and landscape connectivity projects, SloCo has developed a deep understanding of sloth ecology, behavior, and the challenges these species face in rapidly changing environments.
Pacific Coast
The Sloth Institute
The Sloth Institute (TSI) is a leading authority on sloth care, rehabilitation, and release. With over a decade of experience, it advances sloth conservation through rewilding and release, habitat restoration, injury prevention, and research that expands global scientific understanding of sloths. Its work has been instrumental in developing and refining protocols for the successful rehabilitation and reintroduction of sloths into the wild, as well as advancing best practices in sloth husbandry.
"Together, we have spent decades studying, rescuing, and protecting sloths in the wild. Now we have joined forces to create the Sloth Protection Alliance, a collaborative effort dedicated to ending the commercial sloth trade once and for all."
WHY NOW?
The window is open. We have to move fast.
Two of the world’s leading sloth conservation organizations have united to fight the exploitation and trafficking of wild sloths into the United States, and we need your help to make it permanent.
STEPS TAKEN
FLORIDA HALTS SLOTH IMPORTS
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has temporarily halted the importation of sloths into Florida for 60 days, the first regulatory response of its kind.
IN PROGRESS
FEDERAL LEGISLATION UNDER CONSIDERATION
Federal lawmakers are now actively considering legislation to permanently ban sloth imports into the United States. This has never happened before. Momentum is real.
ON THE GROUND
ALLIANCE TEAMS ARE IN THE FIELD
Our teams have traveled to Florida to meet directly with lawmakers, wildlife agencies, prosecutors, and investigators, pushing for accountability and permanent change.
GET INVOLVED
Two ways to make a difference
The sloths that suffered and died at Sloth World cannot be saved. But they can be the reason this never happens again. Here’s how you can help us make that happen.
Call on lawmakers to ban the import of wild sloths into the United States for commercial use. Every signature sends a direct signal that the public is watching and demanding action.