Golden lion tamarins and sloths become unlikely roommates at Palm Beach Zoo

The Tamarins Golden Lion and the lazy with Hoffman’s two fingers have become unlikely roommates in a brand new habitat at the Palm Beach Zoo and Conservation Society in Florida.

The two species are from the forests of South America, which is why the new habitat has a thick canopy of trees. Golden tamarins, with their distinct orange mane, like to frolic in the peaks, while lazy people are perfectly happy suspended to trees.

“Maybe golden tamarins consider lazy people as more furniture because they don’t really do too much. They are more sedentary,” said Devin Clarke, the main supervisor of the zoo. “They like to sleep during the day, a little more active at night. So look, you know, as their sofa walking at night is not too scary for them.”

Habitat, which opened its doors at the end of August, offers lazy and tamarine a unique space to interact with each other – or in mind of their own business. The space has a network of vines, strings and tunnels that encourage exploration, said zoo officials.

“The simple fact of being able to see them closely is a way to inspire the connection,” said Clarke. “And once people are starting to really have this connection and to host this connection with the wild animal, they are able to look at their lives and to say:” What can I do differently to help these animals “wild homologists in Brazil and Central America to prosper?” “”

He said that in the 1970s there were less than 200 golden tamarins in nature. Forty zoos accredited by the association of zoos and aquariums have developed a plan to rewrite the species in nature. Their number exceeded 5,000 from last year, he said.

Tamarin’s previous Tamarin habitat was a little smaller, said Clarke.

“We wanted to be able to give them better well-being, so improve their life with enrichment, with space, so that they can act a little more natural,” he added.

Conservation is part of the identity of the Palm Beach zoo, so Florida’s native plants are part of the new habitat.

“Planting these native plants from Florida in this habitat is a great way to highlight something we can do with us,” said Clarke. “Even if you have an apartment, the simple fact of turning off a potted plant which is an native plant from Florida helps to revitalize the ecosystem that we have here in the south of Florida.”

The new habitat offers visitors the opportunity to have a more in -depth vision of the two species, said Margo McKnight, president and chief executive officer of the zoo.

“We hope to promote a love for wildlife in wild places, including our own backyard. We hope that each person will leave is inspired to be a fauna hero in their own community,” she said.

© 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material cannot be published, disseminated, rewritten or redistributed without authorization.