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Pied Tamarin
Paignton Zoo is home to one male named Han and one female named Solo. They live next to the lake opposite the orangutan islands and are quite shy, so visitors might need a bit of patience to spot them.
Class:
Mammalia
Order:
Carnivora
Family:
Herpestidae
About the pied tamarin
Pied tamarins are striking small primates found only in northern Brazil near the city of Manaus, where their range has become highly restricted due to ongoing habitat loss. They have a distinctive black coat with bold white markings on the face and chest, and measure just 23–28 centimetres in body length with a weight of around 400 to 600 grams. These diminutive New World monkeys are adapted to life in the forest canopy and are most active during the day.
Pied tamarins are omnivorous primates with a diet that includes fruit, nectar and insects. In the wild they live in small family groups with a loose dominance hierarchy rather than strict social ranking. After a gestation period of about 140–145 days, females give birth to one or two infants. In suitable conditions these tamarins can live for about 10 to 15 years.
Conservation
The pied tamarin is classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. The biggest threats to the species are deforestation and habitat fragmentation caused by expanding urban development, agriculture and infrastructure, as well as capture for the illegal pet trade. Conservation efforts focus on protecting remaining forest habitat and supporting sustainable land-use planning to secure the future of this rare primate.