Dallas

Twin Emperor Tamarin Monkeys Born at Dallas Zoo

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The monkeys were born last month and they are now on display for zoo visitors to see.

The Dallas Zoo is introducing guests to the newest members of the zoo family.

According to the Dallas Zoo, visitors will get to meet twin emperor tamarin monkeys for the very first time.

Zoo officials said the twins were born on March 29 to mom Lettie and dad Roger.

The babies, who are less than a month old, can be seen riding on their parents' backs, or sometimes on the backs of their older siblings, Chico and Ilsa, zoo officials said.

Zoo visitors can see the baby twins in the Tamarin Treetops habitat.

The twins are the same species of monkey as the ones that were taken from the zoo in January.

The Dallas Zoo said on January 30 that two emperor tamarin monkeys were missing and that there was clear evidence the animals' habitats were tampered with.

The monkeys, named Bella and Finn, were later located at an empty home in Lancaster, just south of Dallas, where they were found safe in a closet.

Zoo officials shared a post on Facebook saying Bella and Finn "were so happy to snuggle into their nest sack here at the zoo last night." The zoo added that veterinarians and the animal's care teams said they showed no sign of injury and had only lost a little weight.

The Dallas Zoo says two tamarin monkeys are home and happy after being taken from the zoo in January 2023.

The theft of the tamarin monkeys was the fourth suspicious incident at the zoo since the start of the new year. The first incident involved a clouded leopard, Nova, who escaped her enclosure after police discovered it had been intentionally cut. As Dallas Police opened a criminal investigation, zoo staff members the next day found a similar intentional cut on the enclosure that houses langur monkeys, all of whom were accounted for. Most recently, an endangered vulture was found dead with an "unusual wound," zoo officials said. Dallas Police later said they were investigating the death as being suspicious.

A 24-year-old man was later charged in the taking of two emperor tamarin monkeys, and he was linked to other recent incidents there, authorities said.

Davion Irvin was charged with two counts of burglary to a building in connection with the cutting of the enclosure fences for the clouded leopard and emperor tamarin monkeys, Dallas Police said. He was also linked to the cutting of the habitat of the zoo's langur monkeys, police said.

Irvin was arrested on six counts of animal cruelty — three each for the two emperor tamarin monkeys that were taken, police said. His bail was set at $25,000.

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