Investigation Into Sloth World Orlando Attraction Finds No Criminal Activity in Deaths of 55 Animals

[u/WTFPilot]

https://centralflorida.substack.com/i/212490885/sloth-world-probe-finds-no-criminal-activity-in-deaths-of-55-animals

[u/Lanky_Employee_9690]

Investigators said the animals’ deaths resulted from multiple health-related factors involving capture, transportation, acclimation, and the challenges of caring for the species in captivity. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission also previously determined there was insufficient evidence to pursue animal cruelty charges. However, wildlife experts are questioning the conclusions, arguing the number of deaths and documented health problems warrant greater scrutiny.

Ah yes, all those health-related factors that happen regularly in the wild. How is this not at least criminal negligence when it happens at this scale? Hopefully the law gets updated. It's sickening.

[u/coondingee → u/Lanky_Employee_9690]

I'm starting to think the FWC need to have more teeth to pursue criminal charges against people here. Out of curiosity I looked up the kid that threw a gator through a drive thru window. The only animal charges he got was for illegal transport of the gator and no cruelty to animal charges. It seriously saddens me to know someone can get away with this. Even worse that anyone with a big enough checkbook can still buy a sloth.

[u/Lanky_Employee_9690 → u/coondingee]

... a kid did... what?

Let me guess, Florida too?

[u/coondingee → u/Lanky_Employee_9690]

Yes. I'm surprised you never heard of it. It was like ten years ago. https://www.jacksonville.com/story/news/2016/02/09/florida-man-threw-live-gator-wendys-drive-thru-window-police-say/985469007/?gnt-cfr=1&gca-cat=p&gca-uir=false&gca-epti=z110501p000550c000550e006000v110501&gca-ft=137&gca-ds=sophi

:
TLDR: A 24-year-old Florida man named Joshua James threw a live, 3.5-foot alligator through a Wendy's drive-thru window in Royal Palm Beach. [1, 2]

The Incident

• When: October 11, 2015, around 1:20 a.m. [1]
• What happened: James pulled up in his pickup truck, placed an order, and received a drink from the [employee](foxnews.com | Fox News). He then reached into the back of his truck, grabbed a wild alligator he had picked up on the side of the road, and hurled it through the drive-thru window before driving off. [1, 2, 3]
• The aftermath: No humans or employees were injured, and wildlife officials safely captured the alligator and released it into a nearby canal. [1, 2]

Arrest and Legal Outcome

• The arrest: Police tracked James down using a credit card receipt for the soda he bought right before the prank. He was arrested in February 2016. [1, 2]
• The charges: He faced charges including assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill, petty theft, and illegally possessing and transporting an alligator. [1, 2, 3]
• The sentence: In May 2016, James pleaded guilty and received 12 months of probation, 75 hours of community service, a $1,200 fine, a ban from contacting any Wendy's, and an order not to possess any animals other than his family dog.

We need stronger animal protection laws in this state.

[u/Lanky_Employee_9690 → u/coondingee]

So much terrible stuff happened in ten years, I might have overlooked or forgotten it. I don't live in Florida and the world is a big place...

[u/coondingee → u/Lanky_Employee_9690]

I feel you. Once I had kids to whole world has been a blur to me for the last 18 years. There was a TV on in the background the other day covering pop culture news and I realized I hadn't Heard of most of the top 5 artists in music or the top 5 movies in theaters right now.