ATLANTA â Zoo Atlanta recently celebrated the births of twin golden lion tamarins, born on Feb. 11. The infants, who are now a month old, are the offspring of parents Blixx and Tiete.
While twin births are common for the species, the first month of life is an exceptionally fragile period for golden lion tamarins, which are born weighing only around 2 ounces. Adult golden lion tamarins â named for the orange to reddish-gold manes around their faces â are similar in size to squirrels, weighing only 22 to 25 ounces.
âThe birth of any animal at Zoo Atlanta is cause for celebration, but Zoo Atlantaâs long partnership in the conservation of this endangered species makes these especially important births that are crucial to the long-term viability of their species,â Jennifer Mickelberg, Zoo Atlantaâs vice president of collections and conservation, said.