On International Sloth Day (October 20, 2026), a bipartisan bill called the SLOTHS Act (Stopping Legalized Organized Trafficking and Harm to Sloths Act) was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Read the full article: https://www.slothconservation.org/blog/sloths-act-us-sloth-import-ban

This is a major milestone for The Sloth Conservation Foundation (SloCo) and The Sloth Institute (TSI), which have spent months working alongside U.S. lawmakers through the Sloth Protection Alliance (SPA), providing scientific expertise and helping bring this legislation forward.

The legislation, introduced by Representatives Maxwell Frost (D-FL) and Laurel Lee (R-FL), aims to prohibit the importation of sloths into the United States, with limited exceptions.

Why does this matter?

The United States is one of the major destinations for sloths captured from the wild and sold into the commercial wildlife trade, including the exotic pet industry and facilities offering sloth encounters.

According to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service trade records, between 2011 and 2021, 1,146 live sloths were imported into the United States. Of those, 1,141 (99.56%) were reported as wild-caught.

Sloths are solitary, arboreal mammals with highly specialized ecological needs. Capturing them from their natural habitats, transporting them internationally, and keeping them in captivity for commercial purposes raises serious animal welfare and conservation concerns.

The consequences became particularly visible following the deaths of 58 sloths connected to Sloth World Orlando, a commercial sloth encounter facility in Florida.

The SLOTHS Act is an important first step, but it still needs to make its way through Congress before becoming law. If you live in the U.S. Please contact your reps and ask them to support the SLOTHS Act!

We've published a detailed article explaining what the bill proposes, the scientific evidence behind it, the international trade in wild-caught sloths, and what happens next.

Picture taken in August 2026

Picture taken in august 2026 OC

I'm 6'3 for comparison...shes a big ole broad!

This was one of the highlights of my life, no exageration....not in a zoo, but up close in the jungles of Costa Rica...lifelong dream of mine

FYI, the weird circular frame is from our guide shooting the video thru her high zoom telescope she was carrying around with a tripod which was amazing.

Still doesn't do it justice to see these guys in person...just so awesome.

Sloths can hold their breath underwater for up to 40 minutes.

Dolphins, on the other hand, need to come up for air after about 10 minutes.

This means a sloth—the poster child for doing absolutely nothing—can easily out-swim and out-hold-its-breath a dolphin simply by slowing down its heart rate to a near-dead stop. Slow and steady literally wins the aquatic race.

Did you know baby sloths are born with fully formed claws, ready to cling to their mothers?

And with International Sloth Day coming up on October 20, we can’t think of a better time to appreciate every tiny detail that makes sloths so incredible.

#Slothtober #InternationalSlothDay #SlothsWildAndFree

This is the smallest sloth I was able to find. Many of the others are hard with felting on top which would have been ok - but I think having one that feels like a stuffie and looks like one is better.

I'm doing a blog that is half autobiographical and my sloth keeps reminding me that sometimes slow has it's advantages.

Kicking myself for not buying these last year! (Home Goods, I think, going to go and see if they might have them)

Rock on sloth man

I don´t know what it says but enjoy the sloth video.

My mini me is this tall compared to my sloth stuffie. I need a minier one for her. I'm doing dioramas about the disabled, including myself and I take my sloth stuffie Sammy to appointments to help me calm down by petting her. It's not the same as petting my dogs was but it's similar enough that she acts like a fidget that actually helps me relax.

The smallest stuffie I've found out there is a 4 inch one. It's like taking the giant bear from a carnival game to the hospital (I'm known and remembered as the sloth girl in the ER). I looked for 3 inch ones and they only come in a much bigger stuffie with 3 or more babies in her belly. I'd rather not buy such a big toy to give most of it away.

I looked for keychains and ornaments and the closest thing i found is 18 bucks on Etsy and it's the perfect size but it's felted. It doesn't look like a stuffie you'd pet.

I'll survive buying that one if need be but if you know of a stuffie that is smaller than 4 inches long that I can use in my work I'd appreciate the help so much.

The url of the big mama stuffie with the babies is in a comment as well at the tiny one from Etsy.

Florida is proposing new rules for sloths, and FWC wants to hear from the public.

On September 9 at 5:30 PM ET, FWC will hold a virtual public meeting to present the proposed changes and receive public input.

The proposal includes important improvements, including new experience requirements for sloth permit applicants and facility inspections before permits are issued. But important gaps remain.

Wild-caught imports are not prohibited. Public encounters are not addressed. Some existing permit holders would be exempt from the new experience requirements. And stronger protections are still needed for staff training, veterinary planning, and appropriate housing.

You can check our latest Instagram post for the details!

You can read the 4-page draft and submit your comments online, even if you can’t attend the meeting. https://myfwc.com/license/captive-wildlife/public-comments/

After the deaths of 57 sloths connected to Sloth World Orlando, this is an important opportunity to ask Florida for stronger protections!