The Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo announced the recent birth of twin endangered cotton-top tamarins in a news release.

According to the release, the twins were born on April 6 and both infants are thriving under the care of their family. Cotton-top tamarins exhibit communal parental care, with infants carried on the backs of all family members and nursed by the mother.

Per the release, parents Tonka and Atari, along with their older offspring Spyro, Crash and Bandicoot, have been diligently caring for the new twins.

In addition to this exciting news, the zoo is seeking community participation in naming the new additions. Three sets of names have been proposed by keepers, aligning with the family's theme. The voting options are Bowser and Yoshi, Tidus and Yuna or Sora and Riku. Votes can be cast on the Zoo’s social media pages @AlabamaGulfCoastZoo, with the chosen names set to be revealed on Mother’s Day, May 12.

According to animal care team, one of the twins has already shown a proclivity for exploration, while the other is taking a more cautious approach. The gender of the twins will remain unknown until after they are weaned from their mother.

Per the release, cotton-top tamarins are classified as Critically Endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. Found solely in the northern region of Colombia's tropical dry forests, their survival is threatened by deforestation for agriculture, mining, logging, urban expansion and illegal pet trade, stemming from their initial export for biomedical research.

Visitors can observe the cotton-top tamarin twins and their family daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo. For more information and to participate in the naming process, visit www.alabamagulfcoastzoo.org and engage with the zoo's social media channels.

Photo provided