The staff at Franklin Park Zoo is pleased to announce two exciting additions – a white-bearded wildebeest calf and a cotton-top tamarin baby.

“We’re thrilled to share the news of these exciting births. As with any new birth, we are carefully monitoring the mothers and babies. The babies are bright and alert, and the mothers are very attentive,” said John Piazza, Zoo New England Curator of Mammals.

On Saturday, July 19, Wanita, a white-bearded wildebeest, gave birth to a calf while on exhibit at Serengeti Crossing. The calf, whose sex is not yet known, was born around noon. Shortly after birth, the calf was walking and was observed nursing.

The baby can be seen on exhibit with its mother. In addition to the new baby, there are four other white-bearded wildebeests that reside at Franklin Park Zoo.

Earlier in the month, Wilma, a cotton-top tamarin, gave birth inside the Zoo’s Tropical Forest building. Wilma, her mate Federico (Fred), and their offspring Pebbles, can all be seen on exhibit taking care of the baby, whose sex is not yet known. The cotton-top tamarin baby, born on July 6, marks the first successful birth of this species at Franklin Park Zoo.

As an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Zoo New England participates in the Cotton-Top Tamarin Species Survival Plan (SSP). SSPs are managed programs designed to maintain a genetically diverse and demographically stable captive population of species.

About white-bearded wildebeest

The white-bearded wildebeest is a large antelope found abundantly in central Kenya and Northern Tanzania. These animals live in herds that can number more than one million when they make their annual migration across the Serengeti in search of food.

Learn more about the wildebeest on Franklin Park Zoo's Animals section.

About cotton-top-tamarins

Cotton-top tamarins are a small, but striking, endangered monkey native to the tropical forest of northwestern Colombia. They have a monogamous mating system and live in groups numbering up to 19 individuals. Groups consist of a dominant mated pair, their young and few subordinate adults or young. These small primates, which are about the size of a squirrel, have a long white crest of hair stemming from the forehead to the nape and flowing over their shoulders. Zoo New England has supported field work and education efforts in Colombia to preserve cotton-top tamarins.

Learn more about the cotton-top tamarin on Franklin Park Zoo's Animals section.