Liberty Science Center is saddened to share the news of the passing of the patriarch and senior-most member of our cotton-top tamarin family, Mazzanti. Easily identifiable by his distinct tuft of bright white hair, he was beloved by both the staff and guests of LSC.

As an animal ambassador at the Science Center since October 2013, Mazzanti reached more than a million guests, helping to educate families, students, and teachers about the importance of habitat protection and endangered species management.

We are working with the American Zoological Association to ensure the family continues to thrive in his absence.

LSC’s Commitment to Conservation

Cotton-top tamarins are critically endangered in the wild. Maintaining many different bloodlines, with a mix of ages and sexes, is crucial to ensuring a healthy, vigorous future for the cotton-tops. Liberty Science Center is proud to care for a family of the squirrel-sized monkeys as a part of a Species Survival Plan organized by the American Zoological Association.

If and when their natural habitat can be secured or restored, descendants of these animals may repopulate the wild. We urge everyone to please learn more about protecting our world and all of its inhabitants. You can start at www.iucn.org.