Cotton-top tamarin Saguinus oedipus

Animals in our sanctuary

Rikchaq

Date of birth

01-01-2011

Date taken in

06-06-2016

Rikchaq was brought in together with Nawpa, Allqa and Rabal by the AAP foundation. The animals were confiscated by the French government from a woman who had about a 100 South American monkeys. This for breeding and to trade with. The animals stayed in terrible conditions. Aggression, stress, inbreeding, wrong food ... and so on. It took a few years before the animals were actually removed. Fortunately, Rikchaq now has a better life at De Zonnegloed.

Geb

Date of birth

01-01-2019

Date taken in

06-01-2021

Geb was found by the German police in a van. He was sitting in a basket on the co-driver's lap. The driver and the man were transporting more than 300 animals, including 27 dog puppies, 3 deer, 250 songbirds and 1 cotton-top tamarin, Geb. According to the men, they had bought the animals in Budapest, but were unable to produce a single document. Illegal trade, therefore. Geb was temporarily taken care of in Germany, but then found his way to De Zonnegloed, where he could join Rikchaq.

Where does he feel most at home?

Cotton-top tamarins live in the tropical rainforest and open forest areas in north western Colombia. They are very sensitive to changes in their habitat, which makes them very vulnerable.

What's his favourite food?

They mainly eat insects and fruit, but also tree juices, plants, small vertebrates and bird eggs. They’ll lick the water off of tree leaves that are covered with rain or mist.

Fun fact

If there are intruders in their territory, they do not physically attack them. They try to scare the intruders by shouting loudly and putting up their white hairs on their head and neck. They show their hind and genitals to the intruders as a warning.