Twin Golden Lion Tamarins Born at Zoo Atlanta
Friday, March 19, 2010
It’s tiny times two for the Zoo’s smallest primate parents
ATLANTA – March 19, 2010 – Robin, a 4-year-old golden lion tamarin at Zoo Atlanta, gave birth to twins on March 18, 2010. The infants, each estimated to weigh about 2 ounces, are the first offspring for Robin and her mate, 4-year-old male Theo. Members and guests can look forward to seeing Robin and her new arrivals early next week.
Named for the vivid orange manes framing their faces, golden lion tamarins are similar in size to squirrels. The primarily arboreal primates live in family groups composed of a breeding pair and their offspring. Theo (pronounced tay-oh) is expected to take an active part in caring for the new arrivals, as adult males play key roles in rearing the young.
Robin’s delivery is an exciting beginning to Zoo Atlanta’s annual golden lion tamarin free-ranging season, which is tentatively scheduled to begin in late April. Zoo Atlanta is one of only two zoos in the U.S. currently offering a free-ranging program, allowing the monkeys to take to the trees outside their indoor habitat. The tamarins wear radio collars to allow trackers to monitor their location.
Now a popular seasonal tradition at the Zoo, the program actually has its origins in an important collaboration that brought a critically endangered species back from the brink of extinction. The Golden Lion Tamarin Conservation Program, actively supported by Zoo Atlanta since 1992, once focused on reintroducing captive-born animals to their native Brazil. “Golden Lion Tamarin Boot Camp” was originally created to allow the monkeys to learn the climbing and foraging skills necessary for survival in the wild and resulted in the successful reintroduction of a number of Zoo Atlanta-born tamarins. The multi-institutional partnership ultimately proved so successful that wild habitats reached carrying capacity, and zoos are no longer reintroducing new individuals.
The wild golden lion tamarin population, which stood at an alarming 250 animals in the early 1980s, now numbers more than 1,600. Zoo Atlanta continues to support efforts to connect fragmented forest territories in Brazil to promote expansion of the species’ existing habitat.
