Changing seasons with Ipa and Nema

With the change of the season, it’s time for an update on our favorite golden lion tamarin twins! Ipa and Nema are just over 8 months old now. They are about 600 grams each, which is within 100 grams of their parents’ weight! Even though they are pretty much adult tamarins, they are still experiencing firsts. For the holiday season we carved them a jack-o-lantern; we put some smeared banana inside to make it extra special. Tamarins in general are neophobic; new things can often be scary, and carved pumpkins are something they do not get very often. After they checked it out from afar and it was safe to approach, the entire group interacted with this seasonal enrichment. They were exploring the pumpkin from all angles, including balancing from just their back feet, and their entire bodies were inside. Both twins have distinct personalities; Ipa is the braver and more outgoing one, and Nema is much more cautious. Nema typically only explores new objects once Ipa declares them safe.

The change of seasons also means much colder temperatures throughout the day, and especially, cold overnight. Since our Hoffmann’s two-toed sloths are from Central America, they aren’t big fans of the cold. Don’t fret; they are still visible in their winter area at our Brazilian Outpost with the Zoo’s other golden lion tamarins, Eva and Harley! Bonnie and Nutella the sloths were moved a few weeks ago. A crate was placed in the habitat overnight. When the care team first came in first thing in the morning, we put the door on the crate, weighed the sloths, and released them in the new habitat. While most people think sloths are smaller than they are due to their long fur, Nutella is over 10.5 kilograms. That is just over 23.5 pounds!

While the Zoo is closed to the public on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day, don’t worry. Animal care teams are still here making sure all the animals are taken care of. Some of the animals may even get holiday-themed enrichment just for fun!

Bundle up in layers and come visit all your favorite Zoo animals, including our sloths and golden lion tamarins, this holiday season.

(photo: Pam W.)