The Lake Superior Zoo in Minnesota is celebrating a “remarkable new arrival” — a newborn cotton-top tamarin!
In a release shared to social media on Nov. 5, the zoo revealed that two cotton-top tamarins named Mira and Dino recently welcomed twins, though only one of them survived.
“While the smaller twin sadly passed within the first 24 hours (a common occurrence among tamarins), the surviving infant is healthy, active, and thriving thanks to the dedicated care of both parents and older siblings, Echo, Tango and Foxtrot,” they stated.
The zoo has not shared whether their newest addition has been named.
The release went on to share several key facts about the tiny primates, including that only 2,000 mature cotton-top tamarins — which are native to the forests of northwestern Colombia — exist in the wild. They are considered “critically endangered,” due to “deforestation and the illegal pet trade.”
“They face an infant mortality rate of around 53%, making every successful birth a significant step for the species,” the zoo added.
They continued, “What makes tamarins especially fascinating is their social learning: parenting skills are not instinctual, but learned within the troop. As Mira and Dino raise their infant, their older offspring are also learning how to care for young — critical behavior for the long-term success of the species.”
The release also noted that the recent birth was part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA) Species Survival Plan (SSP), which is “a coordinated effort to maintain healthy, genetically diverse populations of endangered animals in human care.”
