Two tiny mustached monkeys have joined the family at Chattanooga Zoo, and the Zoo is asking for the public to help name them.
The emperor tamarins, a small primate species found in Peru, Bolivia and Brazil, were born on October 25, 2025, to Dolly and Parmigiano, their mother and father.
Dolly, a female who is nearly 10 years old, was originally born in Wisconsin but has lived in Chattanooga since 2017. Her mate Parmigiano is a 4-year-old male who moved to Chattanooga from Massachusetts in 2024. The sex of their offspring has not been identified, but will be determined at an upcoming veterinary exam.
“It’s invigorating to welcome new members to our Zoo family,” said Darde Long, president and CEO of Chattanooga Zoo. “Nothing inspires our team quite like the birth of new animals. Guests also love to see infants, especially adorable babies like emperor tamarins.”
Unfortunately, the excitement also came with some sadness. In addition to her two healthy offspring, Dolly gave birth to another infant that did not survive. Shortly after the triplets were born, it became apparent that one of them was not receiving nutrition or attention from Dolly, so Chattanooga Zoo’s animal care team intervened.
“A tamarin can only feed two babies at one time, so it’s extremely common for at least one newborn to pass away when triplets are born,” said Dr. Tony Ashley, the Zoo’s veterinarian.
Animal care and veterinary teams retrieved the triplet in question to provide supplemental feeding, hydration and warmth in hopes of strengthening the tamarin and returning it to the family. Unfortunately, despite the Zoo’s best efforts and multiple attempts to return the offspring to Dolly, the endeavor was ultimately unsuccessful and the tamarin passed away.
Despite that loss, Dolly, Parmigiano and their two babies are all healthy and thriving in the Corcovado Jungle section at Chattanooga Zoo. Newborn emperor tamarins will spend most of their time clinging to their parents’ backs for their first two months of life, and the twins have already started leaving the security of their parents to independently explore the exhibit.
In the wild, emperor tamarins live in tropical rainforests in close-knit family groups of two to 15 individuals. They are completely arboreal, living in trees and eating fruit, insects and leaves.
Chattanooga Zoo is asking the public to vote on three pairs of names for the babies. The names are:
- Basil and Sage
- Gouda and Havarti
- Monty and Addie (short for Montezuma and Atahualpa, two South American emperors)
Members of the public may vote online HERE. A donation of $3 or more is required to cast a vote. Votes are also being collected in the form of cash donations at the emperor tamarin enclosure. Voting ends on January 31, and the pair of names that raises the most money will win. The winning names will be announced on the Zoo’s Facebook and Instagram pages.
The entire emperor tamarin family is on exhibit now at Chattanooga Zoo. To learn more about Chattanooga Zoo and purchase tickets, visit chattzoo.org.