Edinburgh Zoo have welcomed newborn twins from the endangered cotton-top tamarins species and named them after Taylor Swift.
The baby monkeys were born on Tuesday and have named Taylor and Swift by the zoo ahead of the superstar’s three night run at Scottish Gas Murrayfield this weekend.
The American will perform her Era’s Tour gigs on Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the home of Scottish rugby and less than two miles away the newborns will be adjusting to life with mum Elf and dad Zecca.
They are the only four cotton-top tamarins in Edinburgh Zoo and the birth of them is huge for the species with just 2,000 of them left in the wild.
They are mostly found in small, forested areas of North West Colombia and are under serious threat of extinction, being regarded as ‘critically endangered’.
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With a life span of up to 24 years, most of them die by 13 but the new borns are available to see at Edinburgh Zoo and will spend the next few months being looked after their parents before becoming more independent at five months old.
The tiny creatures are just 10cm long and weigh just 42kg and Taylor Swift fans can even head along and see them this weekend with the zoo offering a 25% discount on admission prices.
Lorna Hughes is the primate team leader at Edinburgh Zoo and said: “It is incredibly exciting to welcome our newborn cotton-top tamarin twins, Taylor and Swift. Unfortunately, the species is one of the most endangered primates in the world due to extensive habitat loss, so this birth is really special.
“Both parents will take turns caring for the youngsters, carrying them on their back for the first few months of their lives before they become more independent at around five months old.”
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