The Daily inaccurately published a photo of a different species of monkey for Tuesday's edition of The Oklahoma Daily and OUDaily.com. We have replaced this photo with an actual Cottontop tamarin, and we deeply regret this error.
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Cottontop tamarins unveiled at the Little River Zoo
Cottontop tamarins unveiled at the Little River Zoo and other assorted animals.
It was all monkey business Monday for the Little River Zoo when eight Cotton-top tamarins were unveiled in their new Norman home.
The special ceremony marked the first time these endangered monkeys had been outdoors, or even seen sunlight.
Janet Sadler, director and co-founder of the zoo, said the black and white tamarins are a great addition because they exhibit good parenting and show why humans should love and cherish their children.
“They’re awesome little family members. In fact, the father even helps deliver the babies, and he takes care of the babies,” she said. “He even hands them off to the mom to feed.”
Weighing between 10 and 18 ounces, the tamarins are some of the smallest primates in the world. They were brought to the Little River Zoo from the University of Wisconsin, where they were undergoing psychological studies on child-rearing and families, Sadler said.
“They’re really, really intelligent,” she said. “And they look like little [Albert] Einsteins.”
Sadler said the zoo received two sets of tamarin families, including one with two sets of twins.
“They’re something people can be proud of here in Norman,” she said.
More than 50 adults and children attended the “Moving In and Moving Up” celebration at the Little River Zoo and witnessed the unveiling of the tamarins into phase one of their new homes, which was away from the other monkey cages and closer to the main entrance of the zoo.
Dr. Kimberly Weiss, the Little River Zoo’s veterinarian, performed physicals on the monkeys when they first arrived at the zoo. She said the tamarins are more delicate than other monkeys and are being kept in Phase 1 so the zoo’s staff can keep a closer eye on them.
“This can only create a positive effect,” Weiss said. “It will enable them to go between indoors and outdoors.
Phase 2 of the tamarins’ new home includes building a large overpath tunnel that turns into a tree house, Sadler said.
Norman resident Susan Frantz said she came to the ceremony to support The Little River Zoo.
“I think it’s great that [Sadler] focuses on the children and the animals,” Frantz said.
Cotton-top tamarins are a very endangered species of monkey, Sadler said. The population of these tamarins is less than 1,000 in the wild and about 1,800 in captivity.
Founded in October 1996, The Little River Zoo features more than 400 animals from more than 100 species. The zoo is part of a sanctuary network that takes in animals that have been rescued or just need a home, Sadler said.
Sponsors of the “Moving In and Moving Up” celebration that helped build the cotton-top Tamarin habitat included the families of Toby Keith, Bob Stoops and Dr. Jeff Nees.
For more information about the zoo, log onto littleriverzoo.com.
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malariejo 3 years, 8 months ago
I do have to say that I love the Little River Zoo, and this article could have been done a lot better. I find it very offensive to the zoo because that is not a Cotton Top Tamarin. That is Tommy the Angolan Colobus Monkey who is also endangered and is about 2.5 feet tall and 40 lbs not the small 18 oz. tamarins. I personally think that the Tamarins--it being their debut--deserve the credit and their name to be represented by a picture of them. Please correct your information.