New set of endangered cotton-top tamarin triplets born at Disney World
Written by Angie Sharma on September 18, 2024
The second set of critically endangered cotton-top tamarin triplets to be born this year at Walt Disney World have arrived, park officials announced Saturday.
The three tiny primates were born at Animal Kingdom’s Discovery Island on Saturday and are bonding with their parents and siblings, a Disney World spokesperson told UPI.
A earlier batch of the small-but-powerful monkeys were born there in January.
Weighing only 1 pound in adulthood, the cotton-top tamarin is only found in the rain forests northwestern Colombia. They are known for their sophisticated social behaviors and have even shown evidence of simple grammatical capabilities.
Despite their small stature, their athletic capabilities are impressive — they can leap 15 feet from a stationary branch — while their appearance is highlighted by a wild mane of bright-white hair atop their heads.
The male and female parents of newborn tamarins share infant care equally, carrying their young on their backs until approximately 14 weeks of age.
It is estimated there are only 6,000 remaining cotton-top tamarins remaining in the wild, making them one of the rarest primates in the world. Disney World says it is working with organizations such as Proyecto Titi in Colombia to help protect the species through its Disney Conservation Fund.
Source : UPI News
