Willow, rescued Sloth World Sloth, has died, zoo says

ORLANDO, Fla. - The Central Florida Zoo announced the death of Willow on Tuesday, one of the Sloth World sloths rescued from a makeshift warehouse in Orange County.

Willow was one of 13 sloths rescued in April and brought to the Central Florida Zoo for emergency care and treatment. Zoo officials said all the sloths were brought to them suffering from several issues, including dehydration, malnutrition, and digestive issues.

Four of the sloths considered to be in the most critical condition have died: Bandit, Habanero, Dumpling, and Mr. Ginger. Willow marks the fifth death of the rescued sloths, leaving eight others.

What they're saying:

"Despite daily care and regular medical treatments from our Animal Care, Nutrition, and Veterinary Teams, Willow's condition continued to steadily decline over the past few weeks. With consultation from other experts through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), a thorough quality of life assessment was conducted for Willow, and the difficult decision was made for humane euthanization."

How are the surviving sloths doing?

In recent weeks, the Central Florida Zoo said some of the sloths have been cleared from the ICU, but cautioned that none of the sloths were completely out of the woods. 

"Our team remains focused on providing ongoing support and necessary treatments for the surviving sloths in our care," the zoo said.

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