It was love at first sight for two furry residents at NPDC’s Brooklands Zoo.

Cotton-top tamarin monkey Nomi has arrived from Auckland Zoo and settled in with her new mate, Teo.

“They’re definitely getting along well – they hit it off from the get-go,” says NPDC Brooklands Zoo Lead Eve Cozzi.

“Teo’s even putting on weight because Nomi is so generous with the food that they share.”

Brooklands Zoo has had cotton-top tamarins since 2000 and is part of the nationwide breeding programme for this critically endangered species – but the squeaks of baby tamarins won’t be heard anytime soon as their offspring aren’t required yet.

“They may be needed further down the track though because they’re a really good pairing – we got Teo from Australia in 2020.”

Getting four-year-old Nomi as a partner for seven-year-old Teo was great news for the zoo as cotton-top tamarins are social animals with strong family ties.

“They’re also hugely popular among zoo visitors,” says Eve. “People love how tiny they are and their funky hairdo – they’re definitely unique-looking.”

The monkeys live up to 14 years in the wild but can live up to 24 years in captivity.

Brooklands Zoo will be celebrating Day of the Cotton-Top Tamarin on 17 and 18 August with keeper talks at noon and 2pm that will feature behavioural enrichment (activities that encourage the monkeys’ natural habits in the wild) and a chalk activity for kids.

Fast facts

• More than 135,000 people visit Brooklands Zoo every year.
• The zoo is a Ministry of Primary Industries approved facility and has animal welfare accreditation from the Zoo and Aquarium Association.
• There are only 7,000 cotton-top tamarins left in the wild in Colombia, with their main threats being habitat loss and the pet trade.

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