“It was such a shock to lose Yana, as she did not show signs of
illness. She was a wonderful mother and we are trying to fill her role
in every way, providing the best care and nutrition for these twins. So
far, they are doing great and we are pleased with their progress,” says
Curator of Primates and Carnivores Beth Jo Schoeberl.

The
two tiny female emperor tamarins, Lara and Lucy, can be seen for now in
the zoo’s nursery. Guests can watch zoo keepers feed the twins at 10:30
a.m. and 4:30 p.m. As the twins progress, they will spend more of their
time in the Emerald Forest Building with Paddy, their older brother.
Paddy was very attentive to the twins and was seen assisting mom with
babysitting duties, before she died. Unfortunately, the twins’ father,
Cute, also passed away due to old age during Yana’s pregnancy.

The
twins are hand fed a special New World primate formula from a syringe
with a nipple, as well as some solids including callitrichid and
marmoset diets. Recently they have been offered some chilled vegetables
to chew on while they are teething. So far feedings have gone well and
the tamarins continue to gain weight.

In
addition to providing balanced nutrition, zoo staff has also tried to
mimic some important aspects of life with their mother. Staff created a
“baby bouncer” contraption which encourages the twins to hang on to a
moving replica of mom. This helps the tamarins gain muscle strength and
coordination, as they would normally cling to mom as she maneuvered
through the tree tops.

Emperor tamarins
are found in the tropical forests of Central America, specifically
Bolivia, Brazil and Peru, where they forage the trees and forest floor
for a variety of insects, fruits and nectar.  Many other tamarin
species can be found throughout Central and South America. Although
emperor tamarins are not currently listed as a threatened or endangered
species with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN),
wild population numbers have been decreasing due to the destruction of
their habitat by humans.

Emperor tamarins
live in family groups comprised of three to eight individuals.  The
burden of successfully raising young is shared by all adult troop
members, each taking turns allowing the newborns to ride on their
backs.  In the wild, emperor tamarins also form associations with
another species of monkey, the saddleback tamarin.  It is theorized
that their co-existence is mutually beneficial when it comes to
detecting predators.  The emperor tamarin appears to be better at
detecting aerial predators, while the saddleback tamarin specializes in
detecting predators on the forest floor.

Grey in color, and
characterized by the presence of a long white mustache and red tail,
the emperor tamarin was first named in the early 1900s.  The name
“emperor,” refers to the species unmistakable moustache which was
believed to resemble the moustache of a German emperor from the 19th
century.