First ever baby emperor tamarin monkey born at Auckland Zoo
Saturday, 21 March 2020
Auckland Zoo is celebrating the arrival of the first ever baby emperor tamarin to be born at the zoo.
The tiny monkey is the first of its kind, known for its long white moustache, to be born at the zoo since the species arrived in November 2018.
'This is a pretty special occasion,' the zoo said in a post to social media.
'Although their white whiskeys may look small at the moment, these will grow in time to match their parents.'
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The gestation period for emperor tamarins is four-and-a-half months. While their population is in decline due to deforestation and human intrusion, emperor tamarins are not considered to be endangered or under threat.
When emperor tamarins are born, the father will step in to help hold and clean the baby, while the mother nurses the baby every two to three hours.
'They'll continue to get all their nourishment from mum with a feed every 2-3 hours until they're ready to start on solid foods - like fruit, insects, nectar and leaves,' the zoo said.
The week-old monkey's gender is still unknown, so a name is yet to be decided.
Emperor tamarins Ladino and Pacino arrived at Auckland Zoo in November 2018 from Western Australia's Perth Zoo.