TWP Cotton-Top Tamarins

Greetings friends and welcome to this week’s blog about the cotton-top tamarin. Before we delve into that topic I would like to say farewell to the month of September. The air is becoming cooler. Soon the leaves will begin to change and the backdrop of Timbavati Wildlife Park will be outlined in beautiful autumn colors. It’s a great time to see the park. With that said, let’s take a look at our little friends the cotton-top tamarins.

Cotton-top tamarins hail from the forests of South America. Their most recognizable feature is their namesake, the white tuft of hair on their heads. These little creatures live in the trees for most of their lives. As one of the smallest primates on the planet they have an abundance of predators to watch out for. This makes the forest canopy a safe place to live and traverse.

A cotton-top troop is made up of mostly males. The troop however is led by the eldest female. The cotton-top marks its territory by dragging its rear end down the trunk of a tree, leaving its scent on it. It will also rub its scent on its feet and climb up and down the trees. When opposing troops of cotton-tops meet they display aggression by displaying their rear ends to each other.

The cotton-top is an omnivore who lives on a diet of fruit, insects and rodents. The cotton-top also likes green plants, eggs, and tree sap. The gestation period for the female is 183 days. She then typically gives birth to a set of twins.

Timbavati Wildlife Park is home to many different species of animal. We’re a family friendly educational experience with hours of entertainment for you and your party. Visit us online to plan your trip today. Thanks and we’ll see you in the park.

TWP Red-handed Tamarin

Greetings friends and welcome to this week’s blog post. Today we are taking a walk into Nursery 2 and looking at the red-handed tamarin. The red-handed tamarin is a native of South America and dwells in wooded areas north of the Amazon River. As you can see from this week’s photo it gets its name from the reddish brown fur on its paws.

Red-handed tamarins belong to a group which are referred to as “New World Monkeys.” This is a distinction given to monkeys discovered in Mexico, Central and South America. They all share similar characteristics. Some of those characteristics for example are that they are small to medium-sized primates which typically have long tails. Red-handed tamarins are small and only weigh a pound.

These little monkeys are omnivores. They will eat plants, fruits, flowers, eggs, frogs, nectar, insects and small reptiles. Red-handed tamarins live in small groups of 4-15 members. These small groups of monkeys are referred to as a troop, a barrel, a carload, a cartload or a tribe.

The red-handed tamarin is a great climber and can jump great lengths. They can easily jump from trees as high as 60 feet to the ground without getting hurt. The red-handed tamarin is also very quick with a top recorded speed of 24 miles per hour.

Only one female in the troop will mate during the breeding season. The gestation period for this lone mother is 140-170 days. The mother will typically give birth to two babies. The entire group looks after the babies. The father is the primary caretaker for the young and only defers to the mother for nursing.

Timbavati Wildlife Park is teeming with animals and educational information. For a limited time we have our “Fall Combo Ticket.” This gives you our General Admission plus a Safari Train Ride for one great price. Visit our website today and plan your visit. Here’s a video with more great red-handed tamarin facts.

Reuse Re-purpose Recycle At Timbavati Wildlife Park

Greetings friends and welcome to this week’s blog post. September has been mild and awesome. This week we’re talking about the construction of Timbavati Wildlife Park. Many of the structures in Timbavati Wildlife Park are made from repurposed and reused materials.

Timbavati Wildlife Park sits on the site of the former Riverview Waterpark. The timbers and steel under our beautiful rock entrance? All reused! Our observation tower was a water slide in the old park. Whenever we can we seek to recycle and repurpose materials.

Engine Number 9 on our Safari Train Ride is itself repurposed from a different location as is it’s track. When you ride on the train it will take you past the Aoudad pasture. This area used to be a go-kart track. The go-kart overpass has been repurposed as a shelter and enrichment area (see this week’s picture) That’s re-purposing at it’s finest.

Going The Extra Mile To Re-purpose

Our reuse and repurpose goes beyond that. A lot of the steel used in the construction of our rhino pen is recycled.  The rustic rock and wood benches at Timbavati Wildlife Park are made with repurposed and reused materials.

If you’ve never been to Timbavati Wildlife Park, right now is a great time to visit. We now have our “Fall Combo Ticket” for a limited time only. For one great price you will receive a general admission plus Safari Train Ride. We also have our VIP Behind The Scenes Tours available as well. Visit our website for more information and you can view our Safari Train Ride in this week’s video. Thanks and have a great week.

Timbavati Wildlife Park's Prairie Dogs

Greetings friends and welcome to this week’s blog post. September has been very comfortable so far, the mild temperatures are awesome for a great walk in the park. While walking through Timbavati Wildlife Park you’ll no doubt encounter our brand new Prairie Dog Encounter. It’s at the very front of our Interaction Area. Today we will take a look at our new little fuzzy friends the prairie dog.

For starters prairie dogs are not part of the canine family. They are actually a rodent, think really big squirrel. They were called dogs because of the little barking noises that they make. They come mostly from the Great Plains in the United States and can withstand everything from a midwest winter to a Texas heatwave. That’s built to last. It’s always cooler in winter and warmer in the summer when you’re underground.

As you can see from this week’s video prairie dog video, they are expert tunnel makers. They burrow as a way of life. Prairie dogs also like in what are called “towns.” A prairie dog town is a large collection of prairie dog families. A prairie dog family is called a coterie or a clan. You need multiple clans to make up a town. A prairie dog town can have upwards of 10,000 prairie dogs in it.

As you can also see from this week’s video prairie dogs post a lookout. This lookout will bark if something looks out of place. They also clear tall plants from their burrows so that they can see predators approaching.

Timbavati Wildlife Park is home to a lot of really cool animals and the prairie dog has been an awesome addition to our 2019 lineup. We’re open 7 days a week and can handle everything from corporate events to field trips. Visit our website for more animal facts and fun. Thanks and we’ll see you all in the park.