Yorkshire Wildlife Park is celebrating the birth of another set of rare twin Cotton Top Tamarin Monkeys
17th February 2025
The distinctive, white-crested monkeys were born to mum Consuela and dad Maurice last month kicking the year off with another conservation triumph.
The baby monkeys, who are one of the smallest primates in the world, are a critically endangered species, and the park has been designated as a conservation hub to help save them from extinction.
Visitors can catch a glimpse of the new monkeys this February half-term.
YWP’s Primate leader Amy Wright said: “Maurice and Consuela will have their hands full as the new babies mark the third set of twins for the happy parents.
“Their first set were born August 2021, and another pair arrived in June 2022.
“Luckily for Consuela, parental care is shared in cotton-top families, with infants carried on the backs of their mum, dad and older siblings for the first four months.
“Cotton-top Tamarin Monkeys are one of the smallest primates on earth and are critically endangered, and Maurice and Consuela are a key part of the park’s contribution to the European Breeding Programme for the species.
“We are delighted to contribute to these global conservation efforts.”
The arrival of two more Tamarins is an important milestone for the European Endangered Species Programme due to the declining population of these primates in the wild, which is now fewer than 6000.
Easily recognisable by their eccentric looking long white crested hairstyle, Cotton-tops live in small, forested areas of North-western Colombia where they forage through the middle forest canopy to find fruits and small insects to eat.
In the late 1960s almost 30,000 Cotton-top Tamarins were exported to the USA for biomedical research. Today, deforestation and human activity poses the greatest threat to this species. Colombia is losing its tropical rainforest at a dramatic rate due to deforestation and agriculture.
The tiny monkeys, weighing the same as a small bag of sugar, play a crucial role in acting as seed dispersers in tropical ecosystems.
Hex Wildlife Hotel, located adjacent to YWP, boasts several luxurious suites, family rooms, standard rooms and accessible options, all offering a comfortable stay complete with a complimentary breakfast at the Wild Café Bistro.
Rates start from just £52.25 per person, based on 2 adults and 2 children sharing a standard family room, using the Promo Code HALFTERM with kids getting free entry to the park.
Hex Wildlife Hotel has recently expanded, with the addition of 25 new rooms, including an assisted family room.
A select number of these new rooms look over the maned wolves, one of the world’s rarest and most incredible species.
Hex Wildlife Hotel forms part of The Yorkshire Hive, the shopping, dining and entertainment village.
Kids can also enjoy the indoor uproar play den where they can swing, slide, and stomp through a world filled with pre-historic themed obstacles!
Visit https://www.hex-hotel.com/ to find out more.
YWP, which puts conservation at the heart of all its activities, offers visitors a mesmerising walk-through experience coming almost face to face with some of the world’s most beautiful and at-risk species, including Polar Bears, Black Rhinos, Giraffes and African Painted Dogs.
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