Offspring of pygmy marmosets
Endangered primate species successfully bred at Chemnitz Zoo
The pygmy marmosets at Chemnitz Zoo gave birth at the end of July.
The young animals, mostly twins - as was the case this time - are born weighing around 15 grams. Adult animals weigh around 100 grams.
Pygmy marmosets are very social animals that live together in large family groups. The group at Chemnitz Zoo consists of 13 animals and shares the enclosure with mountain guinea pigs.
After birth, the offspring immediately cling to their parents' fur and allow themselves to be carried safely through the branches. Mother and father as well as brothers and sisters take turns looking after the young. The co-operation of the family members in rearing the young is a special feature of the marmoset group. This increases the little ones' chances of survival, older siblings gain experience in rearing their young and the female is relieved of some of the burden.
Dwarf marmosets living in the wild inhabit fixed areas in the lower and middle tree layers of the tropical rainforest of South America. Their populations are declining significantly as a result of habitat loss and hunting. Since 2020, they have therefore been classified as endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species - the middle of three endangerment categories.
This makes the successful and coordinated breeding of such endangered species all the more important. This species has been successfully kept and bred at Chemnitz Zoo for many years.