I love seeing new animal babies born at Walt Disney World. When you learn more about the care and dedication that goes into looking after the welfare of all the animals in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, you end up with a much more profound respect for the work and the cast members doing it. In yet another example of their hard work, cast members at Disney’s Animal Kingdom have shared new images and details on Discovery Island‘s latest residents. Twin Cotton-Top Tamarin babies, a critically endangered species, have arrived, doubling the population of these cute little monkeys at the park.
Although cotton-top tamarins are considered a rare species with less than 7,500 remaining in the wild, having twins is quite typical for the species. Infants are completely dependent on their families for survival and are carried around on the backs of their family members for up to 14 weeks. As first-time parents, both mom and dad are doing great, sharing the parenting duties. You can expect to see the twins cozied up to both mom and dad over the next several months.
These two tiny newborns are pictured below, clinging to their parents as they go about their business, leaping from branch to branch in their enclosure. As one of the smallest primates, these little monkeys are considered endangered due to their exploitation in the illegal pet trade and loss of habitat in their Colombian homeland due to development.
Cotton-top tamarins are native to Colombia and typically found in the tropical forests of the northwest region of the country. These primates live high in the treetops and forage through the canopy for the fruits and insects that make up most of their diet. They are critically endangered because of the illegal pet trade as well as extensive deforestation and loss of habitat.
The Cotton-Top Tamarin has a small body that processes its food very quickly, and as such, they require a diet that is high in energy. These cute little monkeys mainly eat insects, fruit, nectar, and plant exudates, like sap and gum.
Cotton-top tamarins are known for the wild manes of bright-white hair atop their heads, resembling a well-known genius and theoretical physicist. And they’re highly intelligent, too, with at least 38 distinct calls in their vocal repertoire to communicate with each other!
Fully grown, adult cotton-top tamarins weigh less than a pound and are about the size of a squirrel. Though small in stature, these twins will play a big role in the continuation of one of the most endangered primate species.
You can find the Cotton-Top Tamarins attraction in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, over on Discovery Island, where these south-American monkeys are already out and having fun. Make sure you include them in your next visit and see these pint-sized primates leap up to 15 feet (4.6 meters) from branch to branch!
The post New Cotton-Top Tamarin Twins Born At Disney’s Animal Kingdom first appeared on DIS.