As Sanford’s Central Florida Zoo continues its recovery efforts to care for rescued sloths from the I-Drive attraction Sloth World, the Florida Legislature is considering a cut to financial aid to the zoo.
See, last fall, Florida Sen. Jason Brodeur, R-Lake Mary, submitted a $750,000 state funding request for the Central Florida Zoo to help the nonprofit modernize its infrastructure to “ensure it maintains its accreditation by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums.” This accreditation, according to the request, is necessary for the zoo to “retain many of its most popular species, that are part of AZA Species Survival Plans (SSPs) or Saving Animals from Extinction (SAFE) programs.”
But with state budget talks underway this week — as part of a special legislative session to finalize a budget for the next fiscal year — a state Senate agricultural committee has proposed cutting that funding request down to $500,000. This matches a smaller funding proposal approved by the Florida House, as first reported by the investigative newsletter Seeking Rents.
It’s a sharp cut to the Central Florida Zoo, which notably took on unexpected expenses late last month when it agreed to take in 13 rescued sloths from the disgraced Sloth World attraction in Orlando’s tourism district that doomed itself before ever opening.
Sloth World’s operators are currently under investigation by the state attorney’s office for the deaths of 55 sloths they imported in 2024 and 2025 from Peru and Guyana. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission on Wednesday announced they are consequently pausing sloth imports to Florida, citing the Sloth World case. The FWC inspected Sloth World’s facilities last year and were aware of at least 31 sloth deaths before they were publicly reported by Inside Climate News last month.
“This very unfortunate situation resulted from one facility, Sloth World, and they’re no longer licensed,” said FWC executive director Roger Young, who said this “is not a widespread issue.” He added, “We look forward to working with all of the industry partners moving forward to make sure we get these rules right for the well-being of sloths.”
Central Florida Zoo officials, for their part, estimate they’re spending $1,000 daily to nurse the neglected sloths back to health, and the entire rescue mission is expected to cost up to $200,000, Fox News 35 reported last week.
Since the zoo’s rescue and relocation mission in late April, three of the sloths — Bandit, Habanero and Dumpling — have sadly passed away in the zoo’s care, due to long-term neglect and emaciation, despite staff’s best efforts. The youngest and smallest rescued sloth, Mr. Ginger, remains in critical condition and is in “intensive care,” the zoo shared in a recent update.
“Thank you, Central Florida & beyond, for all of your support,” the May 8 update added.
The state funding request this year for Central Florida Zoo is one of thousands of appropriations requests that are filed for consideration by state lawmakers each year, as part of the state’s annual budget.
Sen. Brodeur, who serves as chair of the Senate Agriculture, Environment, and Good Government Committee, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on why the Senate agreed to reduce the original funding request for the zoo.
The state Senate and Florida House have been at odds on numerous funding proposals, including education spending, and are currently in negotiations to finalize a budget for Gov. Ron DeSantis’ final approval. You may recall DeSantis vetoed all of the state’s arts and culture-related local funding requests in 2024, shortly after his failed bid for U.S. President, generating significant anxiety among Florida’s arts groups.
Central Florida Zoo CEO Richard Glover told Orlando Weekly, in response to the proposed funding cut this year, that while they were “obviously hoping” the appropriations request would be approved in its full amount, “we are appreciative of any amount the Florida Legislature deems appropriate based on other budget needs they are juggling.”
Glover added that the zoo has been privately fundraising a matching amount “for several months” to modernize “a number of aspects of the zoo” to enhance guests’ experience. The Sanford Main Street program has also been fundraising to help the zoo by selling “Help Us Hang In There” shirts as the zoo’s veterinary and animal care teams continue to care for the rescued animals.
“Our local zoo stepped up when these animals had nowhere else to go. Now, it is our turn as a community to step up for them,” wrote Sanford Main Street director Paul Williams in a recent op-ed for My Sanford Herald.
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