Infant Tamarin (2025-2025)
Obituary
An infant cotton-top tamarin has died at the Blank Park Zoo in Iowa.
The infant, who has not been publicly named, was euthanized by the team at the Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines, Iowa. The infant, one in a set of twins, was born just several weeks earlier on February 18, 2025.
The zoo reports that on Friday, March 14, they found the infant separate from the other tamarins and in declining health. A necropsy will be completed. Cotton-top tamarins are part of a breeding program at the Blank Park Zoo. However, none of the tamarins born through the program will live a wild life in their natural habitats in regions of South America.
In the wild, tamarins live in family groups in subtropical forests and have been legally protected in Colombia for decades. Despite several parks and sanctuaries across Colombia, cotton-headed tamarins remain classified as critically endangered. They face population decline due to habitat loss as well as threats from the wildlife trade (including to supply the zoo trade).
If you want to protect animals while traveling and support animal-friendly attractions, we encourage you to avoid zoos and aquariums. Instead, visit and support accredited wild animal sanctuaries or Wildlife Heritage Areas for animal-friendly activities that do not perpetuate captivity.
