Anyone visiting us recently may notice that youngsters of various species have been growing up all around the zoo. Our collection of young animals has recently grown with the arrival of a golden lion tamarin baby.
Golden lion tamarins have a very fitting name, referring to their distinctive mane, golden-colored fur, and small body size. The name “lion tamarin” was coined by the French naturalist René Lesson, who gave these animals the scientific name Leontopithecus; the Hungarian term “oroszlánmajom” is a direct translation of this. Zoologists recognize three types of lion tamarins, of which the golden lion tamarin is entirely covered in golden fur. While they could simply be called golden lion tamarins, their tiny size has made the diminutive form “golden lion tamarin baby” more common.
Their small size means that adult animals usually weigh around half a kilogram (sometimes a little more or less). Compared to this, it’s easy to imagine how tiny a newborn must be: a baby golden lion tamarin typically weighs just 50–60 grams at birth.
Our youngest golden lion tamarin was about this size when it was born a month ago. At the time, even if we had reported its birth, visitors would hardly have seen anything of it. Now, more than four weeks later, there’s a good chance of spotting the little one. Of course, you need to know where to look!
At our zoo, golden lion tamarins live in a specially designed enclosure in the Palm House main hall. At first, this might seem unusual, since aviaries are usually built for birds. And of course, golden lion tamarins cannot fly. However, they are so skilled at climbing tree branches and leaping from one to another that an aviary-like exhibit is the most suitable environment for them.
We currently have six golden lion tamarins: the parents, the newborn baby, and three other young animals, which are the offspring of our breeding pair from 2022 and 2024. The youngest can usually be seen clinging to an adult’s back; at this age, it rides while holding on to the parent’s fur. Both the mother and father take part in caring for the young.
As this shows, golden lion tamarins breed regularly at our zoo. This is particularly good news, as this South American species is declining in the wild and is considered endangered. Beyond being part of our exhibits, conserving the species is a key reason why we keep these animals. As part of Europe’s zoo-based conservation breeding program, we actively participate in efforts to prevent these charming little tamarins from disappearing.
