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“Maybe the golden tamarins think of the sloth as more furniture because they don’t really do too much. They’re more sedentary,� said Devin Clarke, a senior supervisor at the zoo. "They like to sleep during the day, a little bit more active at night. So just watching, you know, like their couch walking around at night isn’t too scary for them.�

The habitat, which opened in late August, offers the sloths and tamarins a unique space to interact with one another — or mind their own business. The space features a network of vines, ropes and tunnels that encourages exploration, zoo officials said.

“Just being able to see them up close and personal is really a way to inspire connection,� Clarke said. “And once people start really having that connection and harboring that connection with the wild animal, they’re able to look at their lives and say, ‘What can I do differently to help these animals’ wild counterparts down in Brazil and Central America thrive?’�

He said that in the 1970s, there were less than 200 golden tamarinds in the wild. Some 40 zoos accredited through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums put together a plan to rerelease the species into the wild. Their numbers topped 5,000 as of last year, he said.

The previous tamarin habitat at the zoo was a little smaller, Clarke said.

“We wanted to be able to give them a better well-being, so enhancing their lives with enrichment, with space, so they can act a little bit more natural,� he added.

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

“Planting those Florida native plants within that habitat is a great way to highlight something we can do at our own homes ,� Clarke said. “Even if you have an apartment, just putting out a potted plant that’s a Florida native plant helps kind of revitalize the ecosystem that we have here in South Florida.�

The new habitat provides an opportunity for visitors to have get a closer view of the two species, said Margo McKnight, the zoo's president and CEO.

“We hope to foster a love for wildlife in wild places, including our own backyards. We hope every person leaves inspired to be a wildlife hero in their own community,� she said.

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Frisaro reported from Fort Lauderdale, Florida.