We are delighted to announce that our golden lion tamarin family has grown once again with the arrival of a single offspring on 29th April 2026!
The new arrival is doing really well and is currently staying close to mum, Freia, but has also been seen being carried by big sister, Esme! Dad, Tree-trunks, has also been very attentive to the little one and has been observed carrying the infant for brief periods.
Freia arrived at CZS on 3rd December 2024 from Banham Zoo and Tree-trunks arrived the next day from Jersey Zoo. The pair were introduced to one another as part of an EEP (EAZA Ex Situ Programme) breeding recommendation to form a monogamous couple. It must have been love at first sniff as they quickly welcomed their first offspring together on 13th June 2025, who was later confirmed as female and named Esme.
Breeding programmes in zoos are managed collaboratively at a European, or sometimes global, level. EAZA (European Association of Zoos and Aquaria) Ex Situ Programmes or EEPs are coordinated breeding programmes for over 500 animal species, designed to manage and conserve endangered species in European zoos. They are a collaboration between zoos, conservation organisations, and governmental bodies to ensure the long-term survival of threatened species with the goal of maintaining healthy and genetically diverse populations.
This species can reach up to 40cm in length when fully grown and weigh a tiny 25oz! Infants are typically born very light in colour but start to develop a darker, silky, golden coat as they grow older. This can make it very difficult when trying to spot the new arrival so be sure to take some time to look!
Golden lion tamarins are currently listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species due to habitat loss and collection for the pet trade. In the early 1970s, there were as few as 200 golden lion tamarins left in the wild. Following intensive conservation efforts, the species extinction risk was lowered in 2003 from Critically Endangered to Endangered.
As a result of this global effort to protect golden lion tamarins, around a third of the wild population today originates from those raised in centres of wildlife conservation such as CZS. However, there is still work to be done to help save these creatures from extinction and this new arrival is a great ambassador for the species.
Be sure to stop by our Canopy of South America habitat to see the new family group together. You may also be able to spot them sunbathing outside in nice weather!
