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Cotton-Top Tamarin

  • Conservation Status Critically Endangered
  • Distribution Found in tropical forests in North-western Colombia in small fragmented reserves and parks.
  • Life Span They can live over 15 years
  • Gestation 140 days

Meet the Cotton-Top Tamarin

Get ready to meet the Cotton-Top Tamarin Monkey, the social butterfly of the rainforest. These little guys live in lively troops of up to 13, where everyone pitches in—except when it comes to baby-making.

Only the dominant male and female get that honor, but the whole gang is on babysitting duty, helping carry and care for the tiny tots. When it comes to meals, these acrobats don’t even need to touch the ground.

They feast on fruits, insects, lizards, eggs, and even sip water from the treetops. Between snack breaks, they’re all about bonding—grooming each other to stay close and connected. It’s all about family, fun, and keeping their monkey business in the trees.

Fun Fact

Their fluffy, white manes make them look like little rockstars of the rainforest. The wild hair isn’t just for show, though—it helps them stand out in their troop and communicate with each other.

A close-up of a cotton-top tamarin with distinctive white hair on its head and dark facial features.

See Cotton-Top Tamarins

W17

1.30pm

Lost Valley Boardwalk Talk 1.30pm

Get Up Close

A woman and a girl smile while feeding and interacting with two small monkeys in a zoo or animal enclosure.

Cotton-Top Tamarin Encounter

Get Up Close with the Cheeky Cotton-top Tamarins!

Meet our troop of inquisitive and intelligent Cotton-top Tamarins in our beautiful Lost Valley precinct. Brothers Pablo and Arami are a dynamic duo, and this encounter will bring you closer than you have ever been to this critically endangered species.

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