Critically Endangered Cotton-top Tamarin Born at Liberty Science Center

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Jersey City, NJ – November 1, 2013 – Liberty Science Center is pleased to announce our tamarin mother, Annie, gave birth to a baby girl on the evening of October 22. Weighing approximately 50 grams and measuring about 4 inches in length, the baby is welcomed by father, Mazzanti, and older sisters, Sophia and Emilia. “This is extremely exciting news for Liberty Science Center,” said Paul Hoffman, Liberty Science Center’s President and CEO. “A new member of this critically endangered species has entered the world!”

The mother currently carries the baby on her back, but soon the father will share this responsibility. By observing their parents, Sophia and Emilia are learning the skills necessary to raise their own offspring one day. Soon, they too will feed, groom and carry the infant.

With less than 6,000 left in the wild, cotton-top tamarins are classified as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). In the wild, the primary threat to the species is habitat loss due to deforestation. The cotton-top tamarin family cared for by Liberty Science Center is part of an international program designed to preserve the species.

The tamarins have been well received by LSC guests since their debut in early October. While entertaining guests with their playful antics, these squirrel-sized monkeys serve as animal ambassadors, educating students, teachers and families about the importance of habitat protection.

Guests can visit the monkeys during Liberty Science Center’s normal operating hours. For visitor information, please visit lsc.org or call 201.253.1310.

About Liberty Science Center

Liberty Science Center (LSC.org) is a 300,000-square-foot learning center located in Liberty State Park on the Jersey City bank of the Hudson near the Statue of Liberty. Dedicated to bringing the excitement of science to people of all ages, Liberty Science Center houses 12 museum exhibition halls, a live animal collection with 110 species, giant aquariums, a 3D theater, the nation’s largest IMAX Dome Theater, live simulcast surgeries, tornado and hurricane-force wind simulators, K-12 classrooms and labs, and teacher-development programs. More than half a million students, teachers, and parents visit the Science Center each year, and tens of thousands more participate in the Center’s offsite and online programs.