Small Devon Zoo Follows Lemur Quads With Critically Endangered Tamarin Twins

Shaldon Wildlife Trust, a small zoo in Devon, England, announced on Nov. 5 that its pair of critically endangered pied tamarins, Bobby and Pedra, had twins on Sept. 29. Keepers kept the births quiet for about five weeks. The zoo says the babies are now strong, active and riding on their parents’ backs.²¹

Pied tamarins are critically endangered in the wild, mainly because of severe habitat loss around Manaus, Brazil.¹

The zoo says it is one of only two members of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) to successfully breed pied tamarins this year. That claim comes from the zoo itself.¹² Shaldon is described as one of the UK’s smallest accredited zoos.¹

“For a zoo of our size to achieve this and to be one of just two European zoos to manage it this year is an unbelievable proud moment for our small team,” Zak Showell, the trust’s director, said in the zoo’s announcement, as reported by BBC News.⁴

Why keepers waited five weeks

Pied tamarins are shy and sensitive, and the first weeks of life are a delicate time. So keepers stayed quiet to give the new family calm time to bond before the news went out.¹

“Pied tamarins are exceptionally delicate animals, and breeding them successfully is a challenge,” Showell said.²

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Now the twins have started hitching rides on their parents’ backs and peeking out at the world. Both parents share the carrying.¹³

A busy year for a small zoo

Other births at Shaldon this year included red-ruffed lemur quadruplets, pygmy marmoset babies and blue-throated conure triplets.¹³

“It has been an incredible year for births here at Shaldon, but these twins are extra special,” Showell said.²

The trust says money from its visitors supports in-situ conservation, meaning work to protect animals in their natural home, in Brazil. Its primates page says it backs research in Brazil’s forests, and a Time News report named Projeto Sauim-de-Coleira in connection with that work.³⁶⁵