Our first pygmy marmosets arrived in 1938 as part of the Hancock Expedition. They produced offspring for several years. Unfortunately, none of the offspring from this pair lived long enough to reproduce. It was not until 1978 that another zoo facility, the Skansen Aquarium in Sweden, had reproductive success. So, members of our staff traveled there in 1990 to learn what we could. Many of the techniques used in Sweden were
incorporated into our new pygmy marmoset exhibit. On October 16, 1994, we celebrated the birth of triplets! Happily, all three were healthy and survived their early years.
Today, A family group of pygmy marmosets lives in an off-exhibit area of the Zoo we call the “marmosetery.” As the tiny primates can’t eat a lot of food, keepers have to get extra creative with other methods of enrichment. Wood shavings, perfume and spice scents, and mirrors are offered at different times to keep these busy monkeys content. Often, just moving things around in their habitat makes for new interest.
If the current rate of habitat destruction can be slowed, these tiny monkeys will have a big chance at long-term survival in their forest home. Their largest threat is the pet trade, due to their tiny size, cuddly appearance, and appealing face. We cannot express this enough: monkeys do not make good pets. The United States has banned the import of primates, and most South American countries don't allow primate exports anymore.