The cotton-top tamarins died after they were apparently “overlooked” and left out in the cold, officials said.
A young cotton-headed tamarin looks out from its cage at a temporary shelter in Colombia, where the endangered species is endemic.
AP / Fernando Vergara
A third tamarin was able to survive the frigid temperatures after the band of critically endangered monkeys — which weigh less than a pound — were locked outside, city officials said.
The monkeys — also known as cotton-headed tamarins — are among the smallest New World primates. Endemic to Columbia, they need temperatures of 76 to 85 degrees to survive. The high temperature on Jan. 7, when they were left outside, was in the 50s, with the overnight low in the teens, the Associated Press reported.
The deaths of the two tamarins were only made public this week.
Alexandria Zoological Society / Via thealexandriazoo.com
In an email to the AP Tuesday, city spokeswoman Cynthia Jardon said she couldn't provide details because the investigation remained ongoing. She did confirm that the caretaker, who had been placed on administrative leave, resigned Monday.
Public Works Director David Gill said in a statement that the tamarin deaths appeared to be the result of human error and not "a system problem."
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