An Emperor Tamarin Baby Boom: Racine Zoo Welcomes Two More Newborns!
July 07, 2022
RACINE, WI July 5, 2022 - On June 21, 2022, the Racine Zoo welcomed another pair of tamarin twins — nearly 6 months after their older siblings, Gabriella and Gianna, were born on December 22. While this is a new record for the shortest interbirth interval at the Racine Zoo, it is not uncommon for emperor tamarins, and the pregnancy and birth all ran smoothly and without issue for mother, Amelie, who was also born at the Racine Zoo in 2017. The newborn twins mark the seventh and eighth offspring of Amelie and her mate Pitino in less than four years! They also make a total of 16 emperor tamarins born at the Racine Zoo in total.
The Racine Zoo is a partner of the Species Survival Plan for emperor tamarins, and tamarins that were born here are now living in zoos all across the country, from Arizona to Texas to Pennsylvania and New Jersey! Species Survival Plans are cooperative efforts among zoos that are accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums to build sustainable, healthy populations of animals like these monkeys.
“This family has been so successful in building up the population of emperor tamarins in zoos, with newborns a constant nearly every year,” says Aszya Summers, Curator of Animal Care and Conservation Education. “The incredible success of this breeding program is a testament to the expertise and hard work of our primate keepers and our veterinary team, who work with the tamarins on everything from voluntary ultrasounds to voluntarily crating for exams. The bond the keepers share with these animals is nothing short of awe-inspiring, and the results of happy, healthy animals couldn’t be clearer.”
The twins are still incredibly small at barely two weeks old, and can be seen riding around on mom and dad’s backs — and sometimes the backs of their older sisters! If you want to see the cute little faces, visit soon as emperor tamarins grow up fast and they will grow more independent quickly. The family can be seen on exhibit in the Zoo’s Vanishing Kingdom exhibit every day from 10am – 5pm!