DES MOINES, Iowa — The Blank Park Zoo announced on Monday that one of the twin infant cotton-top tamarins has died.

According to the zoo, the three-week-old cotton-top tamarin was found separated from its family on Friday. Multiple attempts by the animal care team to reunite the young cotton-top tamarin with its family were unsuccessful.

An examination conducted by a zoo veterinarian found that the cotton-top tamarin infant was declining in health, and with no signs of improvement, the infant was humanely euthanized, the zoo said. A necropsy is underway to determine what caused the decline in health.

Cotton-top tamarins have a high infant mortality rate, with about 53% of infants not surviving past the first six months of life, according to the zoo.

In February 2024, a set of twins, named Caitlin and Clark, were born and a year later on February 18 another set of twins was born to the same parents. The zoo said it’s continuing to closely monitor the rest of the infant’s family.

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