Zürich Zoo is part of a European programme to save endangered species.
Keystone
Two little golden lion tamarins, an endangered species of monkey, have recently been born in Zürich Zoo, taking to 11 the number in the Swiss zoological park.
They were born on February 5 and follow their mother everywhere for the moment, clinging firmly to her back, the zoo said on Wednesday.
This endangered South American species lives in a family, feeding on insects, lizards, small amphibians, fruit, leaves or sap.
At the end of the 1960s there were some 600 individuals in their natural habitat in Brazil, but a few years later there were no more than 100 to 200.
Zürich Zoo is participating in a European animal conservation programme which helped reintroduce 146 golden lion tamarins into the Brazilian wild between 1984 and 2000. In 2005, the resulting population had grown to 589 individuals. In 2006 there were also some 220 other individuals resulting from transfers from an endangered natural habitat to a protected environment.
More
More
Europe offers last line of defence for the Asiatic lion
This content was published on
The endangered Asiatic lion is threatened by a contagious virus in India. In a worst-case scenario can captive animals in Europe help?
Swiss ski rescuers attended 14,000 accidents last winter
This content was published on
Last season, piste rescue services treated 14,000 people in Swiss ski resorts. Some 80% of accidents occurred while skiing.
Swiss rail to run solely on renewable electricity from 2025
This content was published on
From 2025, Swiss Federal Railway trains will run exclusively on electricity from renewable sources, mainly generated by hydropower.
Weak European growth dampens Swiss economic expectations
This content was published on
The flagging French and German economies, plus a strong franc, have depressed expectations for Swiss economic growth both this year and in 2025.
Stalking to become separate Swiss criminal offence
This content was published on
Stalking or harassment will become enshrined in the Swiss penal code as a specific offence, after parliament approved the measure.
Electricity bills slashed to bailout struggling Swiss steelworks
This content was published on
Swiss lawmakers have agreed to slash electricity bills at four struggling steel and aluminum plants in a rare bailout of a strategically important industry.
Swiss drugmaker Sandoz settles US anti-trust charges
This content was published on
Swiss generic drugs manufacturer Sandoz agrees to pay more than $500 million to settle legacy United States anti-trust legal issues.
Registration opens for Eurovision Song Contest 2025 tickets
This content was published on
Registration for tickets to watch the Eurovision Song Contest 2025, which will be held in the Swiss city of Basel in May 12-17, opened on Monday.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Public names Zurich elephant ‘Ruwani’
This content was published on
All three names have a connection with Sri Lanka, home of one of the calf’s grandmothers. Ruwani means “like a precious stone, highly valuable”. In a separate poll, almost two-thirds of swissinfo.ch readers went for Rishu. What do you think? Let us know.
This content was published on
The new stars at Zurich Zoo have button eyes, fluffy fur and rate highly on the cute-o-meter: the two koalas, Milo and Mikey.
This content was published on
Markus Schietsch clearly remembers his first encounter with a wild bull elephant. He was in the back of an open pickup truck when the elephant repeatedly mock charged the vehicle in the Kaeng Krachan national park in Thailand. The adrenalin-packed experience was courtesy of a study trip organised by the Zurich zoo, as the Zurich…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.