On International Sloth Day, 20 October 2026, two US representatives introduced a bill with a memorable name and a serious purpose. The SLOTHS Act would restrict the import of sloths into the United States, aiming to reduce the commercial demand that removes wild animals from rainforest habitats.
The proposal has bipartisan sponsors and support from conservation, animal-welfare and accredited-zoo organisations. It is also only at the beginning of the legislative process. The bill has been introduced, not passed, so its protections are not yet law.
What is the SLOTHS Act?
SLOTHS stands for the Stopping Legalized Organized Trafficking and Harm to Sloths Act. According to the official announcement from Representative Maxwell Frost, Frost, a Democrat from Florida, introduced the bill with Republican Representative Laurel Lee.
The central proposal is simple: prohibit sloth imports into the United States. Its focus is the supply route that brings animals into the country for commercial uses such as wildlife encounters, exhibition and the exotic-pet trade.
The bill includes limited exceptions. Deceased specimens could be imported for documented scientific research. Eligible captive sloths could also be transferred to institutions accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums for conservation-focused breeding, provided those animals were not taken from the wild after the law came into force.
Why target imports?
Sloths may look calm when held by people, but stillness is not proof that an animal is comfortable. They are wild mammals with specialised diets, temperature needs and canopy-based behaviour. Capture, transport, frequent handling and unsuitable housing can all create serious welfare risks.
The Sloth Conservation Foundation's detailed explainer says US wildlife-trade records show 1,146 live sloths were imported between 2011 and 2021. Of those, 1,141 were recorded as wild-caught. The Foundation argues that restricting the destination market can reduce demand before more animals are captured and transported.
This matters beyond the individual animal seen at an attraction. Removing a sloth from the rainforest can affect a mother and infant, place pressure on local populations and create a chain of harm that official arrival statistics do not fully capture. Preventing an import is different from trying to repair the damage after a stressed or sick animal reaches its destination.
What the bill would not do
The proposal should not be described as a complete ban on all sloth ownership or encounters in the United States. Its immediate target is importation. It would not, by itself, prohibit the ownership or exhibition of sloths already in the country.
That distinction matters because clear wildlife reporting should separate what a bill actually says from what campaigners may seek next. Conservation groups involved in the proposal say they will continue pushing for stronger welfare standards, more transparency about animal deaths and an end to hands-on encounters. Those wider aims are related to the SLOTHS Act, but they are not all contained within this import bill.
What would happen after a violation?
The congressional announcement says violations could bring civil penalties of up to $20,000. Knowing violations could carry criminal fines of up to $100,000. The proposal also provides for the cancellation of relevant federal authorisations and the forfeiture of illegally imported sloths.
Those details give the restriction practical weight. A wildlife rule needs more than good intentions: agencies must be able to identify a breach, stop the transaction and impose a meaningful consequence.
Why the proposal arrived now
The legislation follows intense concern about sloths connected to the planned Sloth World attraction in Orlando. The official congressional release links the proposal to reports of widespread deaths and serious problems surrounding the animals' importation and care.
The Sloth Protection Alliance, formed by The Sloth Conservation Foundation and The Sloth Institute, worked with lawmakers on the bill. Supporters listed in the announcement include the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Central Florida Zoo, the Animal Welfare Institute, the Animal Legal Defense Fund and the International Fund for Animal Welfare.
The Sloth Institute's campaign page frames the proposal as a way to address harm at its source. Rather than relying only on facility rules after animals have entered the country, an import restriction aims to shrink the market encouraging their removal from the wild.
What happens next?
Introduction is the opening step, not the finish line. The proposal must move through the US legislative process before it can become law. Committee consideration, possible amendments and votes can all affect its future. Until Congress passes it and it is enacted, the SLOTHS Act remains a proposal.
For readers outside the United States, the broader lesson still travels well. Cute wildlife experiences can hide a complicated supply chain. Asking where an animal came from, whether it was wild-caught and whether touching or feeding is involved helps turn affection for sloths into better choices.
The SLOTHS Act is news because it tries to move protection earlier in that chain. Its basic message is that loving sloths should mean keeping wild sloths in the rainforest, not creating demand to bring them out.
Sources
- Office of Representative Maxwell Frost: official SLOTHS Act announcement
- The Sloth Conservation Foundation: SLOTHS Act explainer
- The Sloth Institute: how to support the SLOTHS Act
Featured image: The Sloth Conservation Foundation.