Paradise Wildlife Park welcomes their latest zoo baby: Bombeiro, the Pygmy Marmoset, in January 2021. Bombeiro is the sibling of the playful Mimo, who was born in July 2020. The pair are often seen playing, jumping between branches in their habitat and literally hanging out with each other. Parents Bella and Nippet have been the perfect parents to Bombeiro and Mimo, often being seen grooming and playing with their children.
Pygmy Marmosets are the smallest monkey species in the world, weighing just 3grams when they are born. As adults they only grow to be 150 grams in weight; roughly the same weight as a small bag of sugar. Unexpectedly, their tails are actually longer than their entire bodies! Their tails are used to keep excellent balance as they springs from branch to branch.
These fantastic monkeys have evolved a great trick to get sap and plant exudates from trees. They are sometimes referred to as ‘gummivores’ because gums and saps form an important part of their diet. Pygmy marmosets have special teeth that allow them to drill into bark and branches so they can reach tree sap! In just one tree they can drill up to 1,300 holes. Not bad for something that’s the same size as your little finger.
Pygmy Marmosets are generally found in Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador and Colombia; often in dense vegetation of the lower layers of the forest. In this vegetation, they forage for insects within half an acre of each troop’s territory. However, the forests that pygmy marmosets call their home are being reduced by mass deforestation incredibly quickly. This is why we need to protect this species. As their natural habitat declines, the threat of extinction rises for this species. If we can curb the rate of fast their habitat is being destroyed, then pygmy marmosets have a great chance of long-term survival.
Another large threat to pygmy marmosets is the illegal wildlife trade. Any good zoo and keeper would tell you that monkeys do not make good pets. Here at Paradise Wildlife Park, we make sure to spread this message to our visitors and supporters so we can educate as many people as possible.
If you’d like to know more about our pygmy marmoset troop, Bombeiro and the family, make sure to ask our keepers here at Paradise Wildlife Park. Make sure to book your tickets now: https://www.pwpark.com/product/day-tickets/
