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Peru Prosecutors Open Case After Sloth Abused in Failed Tocache Rescue

Investigators seek to identify the workers involved, requesting a health report under Peru’s animal‑welfare law.

Overview

  • Prosecutors in Tocache launched a preliminary investigation for abandonment and acts of cruelty under Law 30407, which allows penalties of up to three years in prison.
  • Videos show a utility worker dropping the wild sloth from about seven meters and municipal agents throwing it onto the pavement and into a truck bed.
  • Fiscal Guamner Medina Herrera ordered identification of Electro Tocache and Serenazgo personnel, witness interviews, a wildlife authority report, and confirmation of the animal’s condition.
  • The Tocache municipality began an internal disciplinary review, and Serfor condemned the handling, pledging monitoring and technical assistance to strengthen local response.
  • Animal-rights groups demanded sanctions and better training for responders, while officials have not disclosed the sloth’s health status.