COURT HOUSE – Springtime is in full swing at the Cape May County Zoo with the birth of a pair of Cotton-Top Tamarins.
“We are excited to announce the latest birth at the Zoo,” Dr. Alex Ernst, Associate Veterinarian at the County Zoo, said in a news release. “Our Cotton-top Tamarin pair has added a new set of twins to their growing family. ‘Cordelia’ gave birth to a set of twins on March 31st. Both twins appear healthy and strong. This is ‘Cordelia’ and ‘Tam Tam’s third set of offspring in the past two years.”
The pair had a single female infant ‘Kida’ in August of 2020 and a set of twins in May of 2021, Drizzt and Lira. This newest set of twins are yet unsexed as they are being cared for very attentively by the entire family.
In a behavior called alloparenting, every member of the family will contribute to caring for and carrying around the newborns. It helps train the youngsters to care for their own offspring later in life.
“Our Zoo family continues to grow and create excitement for the visitors and staff. Our Veterinarians and Zoo Keepers have been very successful in expanding the number of animals at the Zoo and providing a safe and natural environment that allows the many species at the Zoo to grow their families. The birth of a set of twin cotton-top tamarins is especially important to the survival of the species. The contribution the Cape May County Zoo makes to the world conservation efforts is applauded by me and the Board of Commissioners. What our Zoo team does is amazing”, Commissioner E. Marie Hayes, liaison to the Cape May County Parks and Zoo, said in a statement.
The cotton-top tamarin is a small New World monkey weighing less than 0.5 kg or a little over one pound and is one of the smallest primates. They are recognized by the long, white sagittal crest extending from their forehead to their shoulders. They eat a varied diet which includes fruit, flowers, nectar, and plant exudates. Cotton-top Tamarins are one of three Amazonian species and live in a small forested area of northwestern Colombia. Cotton-top tamarins are considered ‘critically endangered’ and are part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plan (SSP).
“I encourage the public to come out to the Zoo and meet our new arrivals, they are out and can be viewed daily in our Canopy Creatures habitat. The Park and Zoo always have something new and exciting for visitors. I also want to remind our families that our Earth Day event will be held at the County Park Central in Cape May Court House on Saturday, April 23, starting at 10 am. It will be a great time to see the new tamarins and participate in our Earth Day celebration,” added Hayes.
