The newest residents at Disney’s Animal Kingdom are three cotton-top tamarins.


What You Need To Know

  • Three cotton-top tamarins were recently born at Disney's Animal Kingdom

  • Disney says the triplets are spending time their family in the Discovery Island area of the park

  • Cotton-top tamarins, which are native to Colombia, are classified as critically endangered

The triplets have been spending time bonding with their parents and siblings in the Discovery Island area of the park near the Tree of Life, Disney said.

Both mom and dad share in the co-parenting by carrying the young tamarins on their backs. This practice continues until they are about 14 weeks old.

Tamarins are among some of the smallest primates—roughly the size of a squirrel. A full-grown tamarin weighs about one pound and can leap about 15 feet, according to Disney.

Cotton-top tamarins, which can be recognized by their distinctive white crests, are typically found in the tropical forests of Colombia. They are classified as critically endangered, with fewer than 7,500 remaining in the wild due to habitat loss.

The arrival of this trio follows the birth of two cotton-top tamarins at Animal Kingdom in June. They were the first cotton-top tamarins to be born at the park since 2001.