Earlier this year, a female emperor tamarin living in captivity at Belfast Zoo in Ireland delivered an oddly hairy bundle of joy. The young monkey, photos of which are included in the gallery below, is now about two months old.
Still, given the impressive moustache adorning its pretty little face, some might assume that it’s an old man. The thing is that, just like its parents, this young monkey is supposed to have freakishly long white hairs covering its face.
Thus, what makes emperor tamarins stand out is the fact that, unlike the monkeys most people are familiar with, they have white moustaches as long and as thick as a wizard’s beard, wildlife researchers explain.
As detailed by Zoo Borns, the young emperor tamarin currently living at Ireland’s Belfast Zoo is a boy. Its name is Lucky and it was born on September 28 to mother Bella and father Alfie. Presently, it spends most of its time hanging out with its old folks, napping and eating.
“Lucky is the third emperor tamarin to be born at the zoo in 2014, and we are delighted to welcome him to the Belfast Zoo family!” zoo manager Mark Challis said in a statement.
According to wildlife experts, emperor tamarins currently populate rainforests in Peru, Brazil and Bolivia. They live in fairly large groups and, when a new generation is born, the fathers are the ones that look after the little ones.