Prospect Park Zoo welcomes endangered baby lion tamarin

The Prospect Park Zoo in Brooklyn, New York, has debuted one of its newest residents, a baby golden lion tamarin.

The baby was born on May 9, but today was the first day the zoo has shown the golden lion tamarin to the public. Zookeepers haven't yet given the animal a name or even determined its sex.

Golden lion tamarins, which are native to the Atlantic rainforests of Brazil, are small monkeys that stand at just 10 inches tall. They're also an endangered species, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The IUCN estimates there are only about 1,000 golden lion tamarins in the world today, seven of which reside at the Prospect Park Zoo.

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The zoo's breeding of the species is part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Species Survival plan, which is designed to ensure the stability of animal populations in zoos.

Check out the baby and its mother, Teodora, in the photo below, captured by Julie Larsen Maher. --Meghan DeMaria

(Facebook.com/Prospect Park Zoo)