BAY LAKE, Fla. – The next time you visit Disney’s Animal Kingdom be on the lookout for two adorable new additions in the park’s Discovery Island.
On Monday, Disney’s Animals, Science and Environment team shared the first photos of two rare twin cotton-top tamarin monkeys that were born about a week ago. Disney said these critically endangered monkeys are the first to be born at Disney’s Animal Kingdom since 2001.
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Weighing about as much as a common chicken egg, and measuring approximately four inches long, Disney said these pint-sized newborns can be found clinging tightly to their parents as they acrobatically leap from branch to branch in their habitat near Creature Comforts.
Found in the tropical forests of Colombia, cotton-top tamarins are some of the smallest primates in the world. Experts say they’re easily some of the most recognizable monkeys due to their long white hairs that extend from their forehead to their shoulders. Today, there are fewer than 7,500 remaining in the wild.
“The birth of these primates is just one example of how we work with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA) Species Survival Plan to help ensure the responsible breeding of threatened species in managed care and help create healthy and genetically diverse populations of animals for years to come,” Disney explained.
Disney said it’s working with a number of organizations including the Proyecto Titi in Colombia to help protect the critically endangered species in the wild.
To learn more about cotton-top tamarins and other species Walt Disney World is working to protect, visit DisneyAnimals.com.
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