They are named after German Emperor Wilhelm II because their long, bushy, white mustaches resemble the whiskers of the last German emperor and King of Prussia.
They also are classified as “New World monkeys” because they are found in the tropical forests of Bolivia, Brazil and Peru.
Many people consider them their favorite monkey.
Now the Denver Zoo boasts four emperor tamarin monkeys after the birth of twins to mom Yana on the night of July 9.
According to zookeepers, Yana and the twins’ older brother, Paddy, have been very attentive to the newborns.
Paddy has been sharing babysitting duties with Yana, taking the place of his dad, Cute, who passed away from old age while Yana was pregnant.
In the forests of Central America, the emperor tamarins forage the trees and forest floor for a variety of insects, fruit and nectar. Many other species of the tamarin can be found in Central America.
The monkeys live in family groups of three to eight individuals, with the burden of raising the young shared by all the adults.
One of the traits of raising the young is to let them ride piggy-back.
Howard Pankratz: 303-954-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com
