Visitors to Stone Zoo will notice two new tiny faces following the recent birth of cotton-top tamarin twins. 

The twins were born on August 29, and can be seen clinging to their mother’s back in their Windows to the Wild habitat. This is the first set of offspring for 3-year-old Shakira (mother) and 5-year-old Atticus (father). Both mom and the babies are doing well. 

“We have been keeping a close eye on the new family and both babies appear to be attentive, alert and healthy as their mother carries them around the habitat,” said William Robles, Curator at Stone Zoo. “Cotton-top tamarins are a social species, and Stone Zoo guests can watch and observe the tender family interactions as the parents take an active role in raising their babies.”

Zoo New England participates in the Cotton-Top Tamarin Species Survival Plan (SSP), a cooperative, inter-zoo breeding program managed by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). SSPs help to ensure the survival of selected species in zoos and aquariums, most of which are threatened or endangered, and enhance conservation of these species in the wild. The twins’ births were the result of a recommended breeding between Shakira and Atticus.
 
About the size of a squirrel, cotton-top tamarins are noted for their long whitish crest of hair stemming from the forehead to the nape and flowing over their shoulders. Their diet consists primarily of insects and fruit, and they play an important role as seed dispersers and pollinators in tropical ecosystems. Cotton-top tamarins, which are critically endangered in their native tropical forest habitat in northwestern Colombia, are monogamous and groups typically include a dominant mated pair and their offspring. The species faces threats in the wild including habitat loss and the illegal wildlife trade. 

Zoo New England is a proud partner of the Wildlife Trafficking Alliance. By collaborating with this coalition of nonprofit organizations, AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums, and businesses, Franklin Park Zoo and Stone Zoo are raising awareness about the threats posed by wildlife trafficking and what people can do to help.