The male white-lipped tamarin that arrived in Debrecen last year has found a companion: another young male from the zoo in Ústí nad Labem in the Czech Republic has been brought to the Big Forrest – said the head of the zoo.
According to Sándor Gergely Nagy’s statement, the newcomer quickly got used to his new companion, so they can be seen in their joint presentation in the exotic tropical house.
The new tamarin is very friendly and takes a keen interest in the visitors watching him from the very beginning. According to their hopes, a female will join them in the future, so the park will be able to contribute to the growth of the European herd, added the director.
As he wrote, the white-lipped or red-bellied tamarin (Saguinus labiatus), native to the Brazilian and Bolivian parts of the Amazon basin, got its common name from its black or dark brown base color around the mouth and nose, as well as on the belly.
It inhabits the canopy level in smaller kin groups, within which offspring care is largely the responsibility of the father, with the exception of breastfeeding, although older siblings also help carry the cubs. As an omnivore, in addition to various plant parts and tree sap, it also eats arthropods and smaller vertebrates – explained the specialist.
He added that due to the destruction of the rainforests that serve as its habitat, the species is on the Red List of the World Conservation Union (IUCN). It is considered relatively rare among domestic zoos, as it can only be found in Nyíregyháza and Miskolc in addition to Debrecen.
MTI
Photos: Debrecen Zoo
