Double the Tamarin, Double the Trouble! Critically Endangered Cotton-top Tamarins Born just in time for Spring at Banham Zoo

Banham Zoo is delighted to announce the birth of two critically endangered Cotton-top tamarins on 21st March 2026, a rare and heartening arrival for one of the world’s most threatened primate species, just in time for spring!

The tiny infants, whose sex is not yet known, are already thriving under the attentive care of their family group. Cotton-top tamarin fathers take on much of the infant-carrying duties, only passing them to the mother for feeding – a remarkable cooperative behaviour that makes this species so fascinating to observe.

Native to the tropical forests of northern Colombia, Cotton-top tamarins (Saguinus oedipus) are classified as Critically Endangered, the highest risk category before extinction in the wild. It is estimated that fewer than 6,000 individuals remain in the wild, as extensive deforestation for agriculture, cattle ranching, and urban development continues to fragment and destroy their forest habitat.

With numbers so low, every birth is significant, and the arrival of two infants represents an important contribution to the global conservation effort to safeguard the species for the future. Marking A proud achievement for our conservation charity, the Zoological Society of East Anglia.

Deborah Harris, Animal Manager at Banham Zoo, said,

‘The two new arrivals are doing so well, it’s lovely to watch the family interact. This is especially important for last year’s offspring as watching their parents rear their young is how they themselves will learn how to care for their own offspring in years to come.’

We can’t wait to see visitors this Easter holidays joining us in welcoming our new springtime arrivals and settling into life at Banham Zoo.