Mother’s Day at the Zoo!

It’s finally time for mums to sit back and relax as they prepare to be pampered by loved-ones this weekend. This Sunday is particularly special for Drusillas Park, as their cotton-top tamarin, Florencia, will be celebrating her first ever Mother’s Day.

Beautiful twin babies, Machu and Picchu, were born to loving parents Florencia and Pasto at the end of December last year. The cheeky little monkeys have always been popular animals at the award-winning zoo, and visitors have been excitedly spotting tiny Machu and Picchu clinging to their parents’ backs as they bounce around their enclosure.

Head Keeper, Mark Kenward, commented: “We are absolutely delighted to confirm that both mum and babies are making excellent progress. Florencia has done a brilliant job as a first time mother; she is a total natural. We are really proud of Pasto too; it is great to see him getting to grips with being a dad. We will be spoiling Florencia with all her favourite treats this Mother’s Day.”

Cotton-top tamarins are one of the most endangered primates in South America, so the news of their birth was very exciting indeed.  

Zoo Manager, Sue Woodgate, commented: “We are absolutely delighted with the arrival of the twins, and they are growing up so quickly! These beautiful monkeys are facing serious threat in the wild, and we are in great danger of losing this wonderful and charismatic species altogether. We are just ecstatic that the twins have been born.”

“Habitat destruction is one of the main threats facing cotton-top tamarins in the wild. Deforestation is a major problem for these monkeys; they are losing more and more of their habitat every day as the trees are cleared for timber production, human settlements, agriculture and charcoal production. There is also a huge risk to the tamarins from the illegal wildlife trade. These monkeys are adorable yes, but under no circumstances should they be kept as pets.”

Many of the animals at Drusillas are involved in breeding programmes, often monitored by studbook keepers, to ensure the future survival of the species. Primates in particular are a cause for concern due to the threat of extinction in the wild. Drusillas is proud to be doing their part to safeguard the species and ensure that these amazing little monkeys do not become extinct.  

The Zoo is ecstatic to welcome the twins and is extremely proud of Florencia for taking to mother-hood with such ease.