Rare Tamarin Monkey Arrives At Idaho Falls Zoo For Breeding Program

Every time I hear about the Idaho Falls Zoo, they have something cool happening. Yet, I have still never been there. Last year I meant to take the family to see the baby red panda in August and then the baby flamingos later that month, but we never made it out there. Now they even have some new adorable animals that would definitely be worth visiting when they open in the spring. These little critters are critically endangered so seeing them at the zoo is probably your only chance to ever see them in real life. Plus, these rare monkeys are incredibly tiny, only weighing in around one pound fully grown.

The cotton-top tamarin is originally from Colombia but deforestation has caused their numbers to dwindle to critical lows. Chad has been a long-time resident of the Idaho Falls Zoo and Tunda is his new mate, arriving from Phoenix, as part of the Species Survival Plan. The care and breeding of the tamarin is well monitored as it is extremely important to the future of the species.

The video above gives you a good look at how small these monkeys are and how social they can be. See Chad and Tunda this year at the Idaho Falls Zoo along with the no-longer baby flamingos, zebra, and red panda. The IF Zoo has indoor winter activities planned for all ages, including a special Valentine's Day Murder Mystery dinner for adults.

Another upcoming event in Idaho Falls that may be worth the drive to see will be the Idaho Falls Symphony tribute to composer Danny Elfman on February 15th, 2020.