Saving a Species - Cotton-top tamarin breeding program

Cotton-top tamarins are now listed as Critically Endangered and have officially made the World's top 25 Most Endangered Primates list.

Two young stud male Cotton-top tamarins have arrived at Alma Park Zoo to assist with our breeding program. 

In a co-ordinated effort to provide the best genetic diversity for breeding within this small primate colony in Australia, Alma Park Zoo is providing two sisters for breeding this season.

One will be paired with the two new male arrivals to make a new colony, with the other female being transfered to Taronga Park Zoo to join one of their breeding groups.

By allowing these two females which are very highly ranked for breeding (as determined within the International stud book) we will assist with new babies being born to baluster the ever decreasing numbers of this endangered exotic species.

The two new males, Tonto and Nacho have now been paired with our female Conchetta and have settled into a strong family group.

Alma Park Zoo has housed Cotton-top tamarins for over 15 years, along with other closely related monkeys, the common marmosets which are also housed and bred here at Alma Park Zoo.

Quote: IUCN - the International Union for Conservation of Nature

Mankind's closest living relatives - the world's apes, monkeys, lemurs and other primates - are on the brink of extinction and in need of urgent conservation measures according to Primates in Peril: The World's 26 Most Endangered Primates, 2008-2010.