Two tiny and exceptionally rare primates were born this week at a central Iowa zoo, important additions to a family of some of the most endangered primates in the world. They’re called cotton-top tamarins and the twins appear to be alert and healthy, according to Alex Payne, spokesman for Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines.
“They are actually the second pair of twins that our cotton-top tamarin parents, Kida and Eddie, have had in the last year. On Saturday, we’ll mark the first birthday for the first pair of twins, Caitlin and Clark,” Payne says. “They are a critically endangered species, so we’re excited to have them here.”
One of the adult cotton-top tamarins (Blank Park Zoo photo)
The adult tamarins are only about eight inches tall, weighing just 15 ounces each, so visitors will have to watch very closely to spot one of their much-tinier twins.
“They’re a primate, so they’re like a small monkey,” Payne says. “They are very small, but have a lot of energy. ‘Cotton-top’ comes from kind of their punk rock-looking hairstyle on the top of their head. They have some white hair up there and are just a lot of fun.”
The creatures are very rare, he says, due to deforestation in their native Columbia and the illegal trade of tamarins as pets.
“They’re considered critically endangered. There are less than 6,000 of them still in the wild, so it’s very important,” Payne says. “They’re one of the most endangered primate species out there, so it’s vital that we’re able to help save these animals from extinction.”
The adult tamarins came to Iowa in 2023 as part of a breeding recommendation for the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan program. The SSP works to maintain genetically diverse and sustainable populations of threatened species in human care, contributing to global conservation efforts.
The twins were born Tuesday in Des Moines and while they’re small, they’re visible now daily at the zoo.
“They are out on exhibit, so you can go and see them in their habitat in the Discovery Center,” Payne says. “It’s inside, so even on a cold Iowa day like today, you can come out to the zoo and see the cotton-top tamarins. They are pretty small, but they hold on to their parents, and so you’ll see them holding on to the backs of each of them.”
The new arrivals will be the subject of a naming contest this spring.