Novosibirsk Zoo hand-rears cotton-top tamarin baby after mother rejects it

Novosibirsk Zoo shared the story of a little resident named Bead on its Telegram channel. After a two-year break, a baby of the rare cotton-top tamarin was born on December 3, 2025. However, the female did not accept it, and specialists took over the care of the little one.

Bead was started on hand-feeding and was monitored around the clock. The first 40 days the little one spent under constant supervision. Then began the careful stage of introduction to her peers: first short walks of 15–30 minutes under the supervision of specialists, and now — daily outings into the main enclosure.

“Now Bead lives in a small cage inside the enclosure of her group. Under the control of specialists, she goes out every day to explore the space, climbs ropes, studies branches, and has already met a sloth — and wasn’t scared at all,” says Maria Vasenina, head of the small primates and penguins department.

Bead already eats fruits and insects on her own, although she still sometimes reaches for the bottle.

Regular visitor Anna Novikova of the R. A. Shilo Novosibirsk Zoo captured on video the grown offspring of emperor tamarins. The footage shows how the little ones begin to explore the surrounding space under the watch of older peers.