Rare emperor tamarin twins born at Helsinki’s Korkeasaari Zoo

Endangered emperor tamarin twins have been born at Korkeasaari Zoo in Helsinki, the first successful breeding pair at the zoo in 15 years, the zoo announced on Friday.

The newborns are part of a European conservation program aimed at securing the species’ future, as their natural habitat in South America faces ongoing threats. The parents, housed in the zoo’s Amazonia building, welcomed their first offspring last autumn, bringing the family’s total to five white-whiskered monkeys.

Zoo staff had anticipated the birth after noticing the mother’s pear-shaped belly in mid-April. Since their arrival, the twins have clung tightly to their father’s back, nursing regularly from their mother. The species exhibits clear role division: the mother eats and nurses multiple times a day, while the father carries the infants around the clock, protecting them diligently. Their older sister, born last year, observes and learns caregiving by mimicking her parents.

At just three weeks old, the twins spend their awake hours curiously surveying their surroundings while firmly gripping their father’s fur. The mother sought seclusion before labor, and the birth took place early in the morning under the watchful eye of the male.

The infants have already begun practicing their species’ signature threat display—tongue-protrusion and fur-puffing—though their attempts remain clumsy. “The twins can already stick out their tongues, but the big sister does it at everything, which really amuses us keepers,” said animal caretaker Olivia Tammiluoma in the zoo’s statement.

While the twins still rely on their mother’s milk, they’ve started showing interest in solid foods. Adult emperor tamarins enjoy a varied diet of vegetables, insects, and fruit, with the mother favoring mealworms, crickets, and corn. Over the next two months, the twins will gradually practice independent movement before becoming fully mobile.

Native to the rainforests of southwestern Brazil, Bolivia, and Peru, emperor tamarins live in family groups but are classified as endangered in both Bolivia and Peru due to habitat loss and forest fragmentation. Conservation efforts include protected areas along the Amazon and the European Endangered Species Programme (EEP), which maintains a sustainable captive population. The species is named for its distinctive white mustache.