RACINE, Wis. — The Racine Zoo welcomed a pair of emperor tamarin twins on Sept. 15, nearly 15 months after their older siblings.
Emperor tamarins are a type of tamarin monkey that is recognizable because of their white mustache.
Amelie, the mother, gave birth at nighttime because tamarins give birth to protect themselves from predators.
“I am very proud of the Racine Zoo and its ability to contribute to the long-term survivability of this species," said Curator of Animal Care and Conservation Dan Powell. "The animal care staff at Racine Zoo are very adept at their care and breeding.”
A total of 18 emperor tamarins have been born in Racine Zoo since 2014. Amelie was also born in Racine Zoo in 2017.
The infants' genders will be revealed on the zoo's social media pages.
The family can be seen in Racine Zoo's Vanishing Kingdom every day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Read the full statement below:
On September 15th, 2023 the Racine Zoo welcomed another pair of tamarin twins — 15 months after their older siblings, Tomasso and Tonetta were born last summer. Though this birth frequency can seem fast to humans, it is not uncommon for emperor tamarins. In fact, the mother, Amelie, has had babies just 6 months apart in the past!
Animal Care staff had been suspicious of a possible pregnancy for some time, and an ultrasound confirmed these suspicions a few weeks before Amelie gave birth. The Zoo's primate staff closely monitored Amelie’s behavior over the last weeks of her pregnancy and were lucky enough to observe her labor and delivery during a routine camera check around 11pm on the night of their birth. Tamarins typically give birth overnight to help protect them from predators, and in less than 30 minutes, both infants had been born and were being cared for by their parents!
These twins are the 9th and 10th offspring of Amelie and her mate, Pitino. This also makes a total of 18 emperor tamarins born at the Racine Zoo since 2014, including the mother, Amelie, who was born in 2017.
The Racine Zoo is a partner of the Species Survival Plan for emperor tamarins, and tamarins that were born at Racine Zoo are now living in zoos all across the country, from Arizona and Texas to Pennsylvania and New Jersey! Species Survival Plans are cooperative efforts among zoos that are accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums that work to build sustainable, healthy populations of animals like these monkeys. Offspring born at the Racine Zoo make up 30% of the AZA's SSP population and 11 of them are currently housed at other AZA institutions.
“I am very proud of the Racine Zoo and its ability to contribute to the long-term survivability of this species. The Animal Care staff at Racine Zoo are very adept at their care and breeding,” said Dan Powell, the Curator of Animal Care and Conservation at Racine Zoo.
The twins are still very small at barely 6 weeks of age. They can typically be found riding around on either their dad or their siblings’ backs, because in tamarin families, all members help with infant care. Once confirmed, the gender of the babies will be revealed on the Zoo’s social media pages. If you want to see the cute little faces, visit Racine Zoo soon as emperor tamarins grow up fast and they are already starting to venture out on their own, when dad allows! The family can be seen in the Zoo’s Vanishing Kingdom building every day from 10am – 4pm.
Nestled along the sandy shores of Lake Michigan, the Racine Zoo is open year round. Current hours are 10am to 4pm, last admission at 3:30pm. Admission rates are: Members and children two and younger: FREE, children three years to 15 years: $7, seniors: $8, and adults: $9. For more information on the Racine Zoo, its programs and events, visit racinezoo.org, call 262.636.9189 and find us on Facebook, X, and Instagram.
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