SWLNmonkeys – By Izzy Hawksworth
Adorable photos show critically endangered twin Cotton Top Tamarin Monkeys who have been born at a UK zoo.
The distinctive, white-crested animals, whose names are currently unknown, were born at Yorkshire Wildlife Park in Doncaster, South Yorks., to mum Consuela and dad Maurice last month.
The animals, who each weigh the same as a small bag of sugar, are known for their eccentric long-white crested hairstyle and an adorable video shows the twins with their parents in their enclosure.
Cotton Top Tamarin Monkeys live in small, forested areas of North-western Colombia but there is now less than 6,000 of them in the wild.
The wildlife park work with the European Breeding Programme, who help maintain healthy populations of endangered species in captivity, so it’s hoped the twins will be a key part of this.
Amy Wright, the primate leader at the wildlife park, said: “Maurice and Consuela will have their hands full as the new babies mark the third successful set of twins for the happy parents.
“Their first set were born August 2021, and another two twin pairs arrived in June 2022.
“Luckily for Consuela, parental care is shared in cotton-top families, with infants carried on the backs of their mum, dad and older siblings for the first four months.
“Cotton-top Tamarin Monkeys are one of the smallest primates on earth and are critically endangered, and Maurice and Consuela are a key part of the park’s contribution to the European Breeding Programme for the species.
“We are delighted to contribute to these global conservation efforts.”
