56 sloth deaths spur push for new Florida regulations

Описание: State Rep. Anna Eskamani is partnering with the Sloth Protection Alliance to advocate for changes she says are necessary to prevent similar incidents from recurring.

“A lot of folks might not realize this, but sloths in Florida are treated the same as other class three permitted wildlife, like squirrels or raccoons,” Eskamani said.

According to Eskamani, nearly 98 percent of the sloths in the United States pass through Florida. She argues that current regulations do not provide sufficient safeguards to prevent another large-scale animal loss.

The recommendations being advanced by Eskamani and the Sloth Protection Alliance focus specifically on sloths but could have implications for the regulation of other exotic species.

“We are hopeful that our recommendations, if and when they become policy and are formalized by the Florida Wildlife Commission, could lead to more efforts to pursue precautions and stronger rules pertaining to other sensitive species,” Eskamani said.