Zoo Welcomes Baby Cotton-Top Tamarin Monkey

A tiny new monkey has caught the eye of visitors at Brooklands Zoo.

Lorenzo and Nephrite, the zoo’s two cotton-top tamarin monkeys, are new parents of a baby that was born overnight on Monday 26 March.

Assistant Curator Brooklands Zoo Eve Cozzi says the baby is past the nervous first two weeks, which are touch-and-go for survival.

“Nephrite gave birth to triplets but two of the babies didn’t survive the first week – which is fairly usual in cotton-top tamarins,” she says.

“However Nephrite must be feeding the third baby well as it’s looking healthy.

“She’s quite protective of her baby, but she lets herself be seen by the public and they’re delighted to see the tiny monkey clinging to her.”

The baby’s sex will not be known for quite some time as the zoo keepers try to remain hands-off for as long as possible.

The birth is good news for a species that is critically endangered in the wild.

Nephrite was born at Brooklands Zoo in 2002 while Lorenzo was born in Hamilton Zoo in 2001. He was transferred to Brooklands in 2010 especially to breed with Nephrite.

The newborn will stay with its parents for at least two years so that it learns necessary skills from Lorenzo and Nephrite. It may then be transferred to another ZAA-approved facility as part of the Zoo and Aquarium Association’s Australasian breeding programme.