Offspring of highly endangered primate species
Liszt monkeys with twins can be seen in the outdoor enclosure
At the end of July, there was a happy surprise at the Chemnitz Zoo's marmoset house. The breeding pair of liszt monkeys, who have been living together since the beginning of the year, gave birth for the first time. And twice over - twin births are not a rarity here, but the rule.
As is usual with marmosets, to which the liszt monkeys systematically belong, the father carries the young most of the time. The co-operation of the other family members in the rearing of the young is a special feature of marmosets. On the one hand, this increases the chances of survival for the offspring, and on the other hand, the older siblings, who often remain in the family group for some time, can gain experience in rearing the young. Finally, the female is also relieved, as the young are only handed over to the mother for suckling.
The marmoset house is currently not open to visitors, but the animals can often be seen in the outdoor enclosure.
Background: Liszt monkeys
Liszt's monkeys are on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and are categorised as critically endangered - the highest of three endangerment categories. The population of the species, which is exclusively native to Colombia, has declined drastically in recent years. As is so often the case, the main reason for this decline in the overall population is the ongoing destruction of the habitat.
This makes the successful and coordinated breeding of endangered species such as the liszt monkey all the more important. This species has been successfully kept and bred at Chemnitz Zoo for many years.
With their striking appearance, liszt monkeys are a very attractive species that are ideally suited as ambassadors for nature and species conservation projects in their homeland. Education is also one of the important tasks of zoological institutions.
Incidentally, the Liszt monkeys owe their German trivial name to their similarity in hairstyle to the Hungarian composer Franz Liszt. In English, they are known as "cotton-tops" because their head fur is also reminiscent of cotton.
Opening hours in August
Chemnitz Zoo:
09 am to 7 pm, last admission 6 pm
Opening hours of the wildlife park:
08 am to 6 pm, last admission 5 pm