Federal lawmakers push to ban commercial sloth imports

Local authorities say they have wrapped up their probe into dozens of sloth deaths from Sloth World in Orlando, but lawmakers and advocates are now taking this fight to the national level. Fox 35's Hannah McKenzie joins us live now with what comes next. Hannah? Hey there, Jack. So yeah, locally things may look like they have hit a dead end, but legislators and conservationists are not taking their foot off the gas anytime soon because they say major changes are coming to the state and federal levels. as far as the Orange County Sheriff's Office and FWC are concerned. But that doesn't mean criminal charges aren't coming for those responsible for the Sloth World deaths. The state prosecutors are still investigating. That door has not been closed. Dr. Rebecca Cliff and Sam Troll forging forward in their fight to end wild-caught sloth imports into the U.S. After at least 58 sloths died in connection with the failed Sloth World venture on Orlando's I-Drive, calls for change have grown louder. This case raised an important question. Are our existing laws doing enough to prevent this kind of harm in the first place? Congressman Frost and I believe that the answer to that question is no. On International Sloth Day, Representatives Laurel Lee and Maxwell Frost announcing bipartisan support at the federal level with new legislation, the Sloths Act. This is about preventing the cruelty before it happens. It would ban commercial sloth imports with exceptions only for scientific research and species conservation. The next step is going to be to reintroduce it next Congress and continue to try to get more co-sponsors within the House. And then also we're hoping that some senators might be interested. Eight surviving sloth world sloths continue to be cared for at the Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Gardens. Cliff and Troll got to see them for the first time this week. It was to look one of those sloths in the eyes and think, like, it was worth it. And now we're going to do that for so many more. Once they tackle the U.S., the players say they are eyeing the global sloth trade, as well as improving protections for sloths already in captivity. Just in Florida, there's 700 sloths in private ownership, which is wild. I did reach out to the state attorney's office to get an update on their investigation into Sloth World. I did not hear back. Live in Sanford, Hannah McKenzie, Fox 35 News.