SPRINGFIELD, Missouri — Dickerson Park Zoo has announced the birth of three new cotton-headed tamarins.
A press release from the zoo said the triplets were born on July 29 to five-year-old mother Kiki and 16-year-old father Super Cutie.
The cotton-headed monkey, native to South America, is a critically endangered species and one of the rarest primates in the world.
Baby tamarins cling to their mothers for the first few months of their lives. The DPZ tamarin family showed up yesterday and the animal care staff is giving Kiki time to bond with her babies. The gender of the triplets is not yet known.
According to the press release, Kiki and Super Cutie are part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plan (SSP), a program “committed to maintaining a genetically diverse and biologically healthy population.”
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