ORLANDO, Fla. — Today, leaders at FWC met with State Rep Anna Eskamani and representatives from the Sloth Institute and Sloth Conservation.
Foundation to make changes to prevent the deaths of more sloths. Rep Eskamani says, “For FWC, they are committed to policy change long-term.”
State Representative Eskamani talked about FWC putting together a task force to come up with policy. “Some of the changes we discussed included a completely new classification for sloths because they’re a very sensitive species.”
Founder of the CARE Wildlife Refuge, Christin Burford, wants to see steps taken to prevent more deaths. “I was devastated. I was shocked. I couldn’t believe this was going on in Orlando, a bad situation, really bad. I think things definitely need to change.”
She’s referring to the permitting process. To get an exotic animal, you need a Class 3 wildlife permit. But she says that the permit is vague. “This little skunk is a class 3. This I recommend if you know what you’re getting into. The lemurs behind me are also a class 3. I don’t think a person should have a pet lemur.” And she doesn’t think sloths should be class 3 either. “The sloths are a lot more delicate. They need special handling. Most people are not prepared.” She recommends that wildlife officers consider placing more delicate exotic animals under a higher classification. “The class one and 2 you have to have a specific amount of hours, 1,000 hours and hands-on experience of what you want to own.”
But Rep Eskamani wants to see sloths have a classification of their own: “We basically learned FWC is not equipped nor do they have the expertise or staff support, to actually understand the health and well-being of every animal, especially sloths.” She hopes to meet with FWC again in August or December when they have their annual meetings.
Rep Anna Eskamani Statement in full:
State Representative Dr. Anna V. Eskamani (D-Orlando) released the following statement after today’s meeting with officials from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), The Sloth Institute, and the Sloth Conservation Foundation regarding the ongoing fallout from the now-bankrupt Sloth World facility and the broader policy gaps that allowed it to exist:
“Fifty-five sloths are dead. Wild sloths — animals that belonged in the rainforest — were brought into Florida and exploited for profit until the business that exploited them collapsed. That cannot be the end of this story. Accountability requires action.
Today’s meeting was a meaningful step forward for the future. I want to thank FWC for coming to the table, and I want to thank The Sloth Institute and the Sloth Conservation Foundation, two of the leading sloth research and conservation organizations in the world, for traveling to Orlando last week to lend their expertise to this fight and for being a part of this long-term work for policy change.
Following today’s meeting, I am pleased to share that FWC has committed to convening a task force to pursue rulemaking changes to prevent this tragedy from ever happening again. There are still specifics to confirm, but we plan to share policy recommendations with FWC immediately and will work in good faith for the health and well-being of sloths statewide, so that permit rules are updated before the end of the year.
To be clear: rulemaking and legislation are essential, but they are not the end of accountability. A criminal probe into Sloth World remains underway with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office assisting, and our bipartisan coalition of lawmakers in Tallahassee and Washington, D.C. will continue pressing for answers, transparency, and justice for these animals.
Florida cannot be a place where wild animals are stolen from their habitats, exploited for entertainment, and discarded when the profits run dry. We are going to change that — together.”
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