The David Traylor Zoo has announced the arrival of two new additions.
Twin cotton-top tamarins were born in the zoo September 4 to mom Kasasa and dad Hotlips. While the birth occurred over a month ago, the announcement was just made Friday (Today).
Zoo Director Lisa Keith says this was done so as not to cause any disruptions to the bonding process.
The cotton-top tamarin is a small New World monkey weighing less than a pound. They are traditionally found in tropical forest edges in northwest Colombia.
Keith explains how the tamarins came to reside in Emporia.
The cotton-top is a critically endangered species and the twins’ birth is an important addition to the Association of Zoos and Aquarium’s Species Survival Plan. The plan is a program which selects specific species to mate each year helping to prolong the species survival.
Over the next few weeks, the babies will begin trying solid foods and venturing off their parents to explore their habitat.
