Sloths Act: Proposed federal bill would ban sloth imports

After more than 50 sloths died in Orlando, some members of Congress want to make sure it never happens again. They're introducing a bill that would stop sloths from being imported into the U.S. Fox 35's Alexis Clevenger takes a closer look. Lawmakers are pushing a new bill that would ban sloth imports into the U.S. with just some exceptions. But they say the goal is to make sure that these animals are better protected. A second chance for some. I'm happy to report that six months later, we have eight sloths who are stable and doing well. But for the more than 50 that died at Sloth World, it's a tragedy lawmakers say should never happen again. 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. Today, lawmakers introduced the Sloths Act. It's legislation aimed at stopping legalized, organized trafficking and harm to sloths. If it passes, you would not be allowed to bring a sloth into the country. The exceptions to that? Research and conservation-focused breeding programs at accredited institutions. This is the beginning of the end of the sloth trade in the United States. We import. We turn off the tap. We cut off the endless supply of wild sloths that are streaming into the United States. and we remove the biggest source of demand for sloths to be taken from the wild in their home countries. Congressman Maxwell Frost says what happened at Sloth World is exactly why stronger protections are needed. This is about preventing the cruelty before it happens. It's about making sure that the demand for these animals doesn't continue to fuel a trade that puts their lives at risk. If this bill is passed, there would be penalties for violations, including fines, and it would give local prosecutors the ability to seek charges as well. In Sanford, Alexis Clevenger, Fox 35 News.