LANSING, Mich. — The Potter Park Zoo has a few new animals in their family.
The Potter Park Zoo animal care team announced the recent birth of critically endangered cotton-top tamarins to parents Yuri and LG. (Source Potter Park Zoo)Triplet Cotton-Top Tamarins were born to parents Yuri and LG on Thursday, May 23. Although cotton-top tamarins are know to occasionally give birth to triplets, it is rare that mom and dad can take care of all three of them, according to a press release from the zoo.
The Cotton-Top Tamarins are a critically endangered species. Tamarins usually carry babies on their back for the first few weeks of like, and two babies seem to be the optimal number for tamarins to carry, according to the zoo. After giving birth, LG was seen carrying two babies, but not the third.
The third baby was given a brief check-up by the zoo veterinarian. Animal care staff then returned the baby to the exhibit in an attempt to encourage the adult pair to pick up and care for it.
Neither parent picked the baby up and after consideration of the zoo, the decision was made by the animal care and veterinary team to begin had rearing the infant to give it the best chance of survival, according to the zoo.
Three staff members took care of the infant, and for the first two weeks of life the infant seemed to be doing well. Unfortunately, the young monkey passed away on June 9, according to the zoo.
The zoo animal care team reports the two babies with mom and dad. The zoo said they seem healthy,actively nursing and beginning to observe their environment.
The zoo said the two newborns are on exhibit with their mom and dad in addition to the two juveniles born at the zoo in October of 2018.
There are only about 6,000 critically endangered Cotton-Top Tamarins left in the wild due to the destruction of their forest habitat in Columbia.
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